I recently came across an article about a security guard company in my hometown of Chicago that was being sued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). That article brought back some difficult memories from my time managing my security guard company, Cequr Security. I learned a lot about setting up HR policies for a security guard company as a result of my limited but intense interactions with EEOC.
Years ago, Cequr went through an EEOC investigation, which was truly one of the toughest professional experiences of my career. But as painful as it was, it taught me valuable lessons about HR policies for security guard companies and how to protect both your employees and your business.
I’m sharing my story because I’ve walked in the same shoes as many of you. After 20+ years in the security industry, 10 years running operations and selling services, and the last 10 working with hundreds of security companies across the country, I’ve seen how good people and well-run companies can still get into trouble if their HR practices aren’t strong enough.
The Hiring Decision I Regret
It all started innocently enough. I hired a field supervisor, let’s call him Jim, who I’d known since childhood; he was the father of one of my closest friends growing up. But even as a kid, I knew he wasn’t exactly a role model.
Fast forward 30 years, and I bump into Jim at a funeral. During the funeral, on several occasions, he kept asking me about the security guard company that my father and I had started. The conversation seemed a little inappropriate given the circumstances, but for the sake of being polite, I engaged. It turned out that he’d been working in the security guard industry as a supervisor and was looking for a job. Fast forward a few months, and I ended up hiring Jim for an open field supervisor role that we had. His job, like most field supervisors, was to randomly drive around to check on and train security officers while they were on duty.
Shortly after hiring him, I got a call from one of our competitors, with whom I had a professional relationship. “Did you hire Jim?” they asked. When I said yes, the response was immediate: “That’s a terrible hire, fire him immediately.” They wouldn’t explain why or elaborate in any detail. I brushed it off, assuming it was personal. That was a huge mistake.
At first, Jim’s strict, no-nonsense management style seemed like what we needed. But beneath the surface, things were much worse than I could have imagined.
The EEOC Letter That Changed Everything
About eight months after hiring Jim, I received a letter from the EEOC. They were investigating our company for sexual harassment.
My first reaction was complete and total disbelief. I began to think it was just a former employee trying to get even. I set up a meeting with the EEOC investigator to clear things up, but when I got there, I was hit with multiple formal complaints from several of our best female officers.
The details were horrifying. Jim had been harassing several of our female officers, and worse, he convinced them to stay silent by claiming he was my godfather and that neither my father nor I would believe anything that the officers said that disparaged Jim.
I was honestly devastated. I couldn’t believe that officers who’d worked closely with me had gone through something so terrible and felt like they couldn’t come forward.
How We Responded
As soon as I confirmed the allegations, I consulted with our attorney. They suggested that we not terminate Jim, but instead keep him away from female officers. I immediately removed Jim from any routes involving any female officers, including the affected officers.
Shortly after we made that change, he ignored that directive and went to speak with one of the female officers who signed onto the complaint anyway. That was the final straw; I terminated him immediately.
Three days later, I got another call from the EEOC investigator asking us to come to the EEOC office. After arriving at the investigator’s office, the investigator informed me that Jim had filed his own complaint for age discrimination. He claimed that he had been fired for no reason other than his age.
You can’t make this stuff up!
The cases were eventually closed, but the experience forever changed how I think about HR policies for security guard companies.
HR Lessons Every Security Company Should Learn
Looking back, it’s easy to see where I went wrong and what I would do differently now. These are lessons I share with every security company I work with.
1. Build an Anti-Harassment Culture, Not Just a Policy
One of the biggest mistakes security companies make is thinking that a line in the employee handbook is enough. A good HR policy for security guard companies must live and breathe inside the organization.
That means:
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Conducting mandatory anti-harassment training for every employee, from officers to senior management.
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Making sure each team member signs an acknowledgment that they understand the policy.
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Reinforcing that no one is above accountability: not even a friend of ownership.
I learned the hard way that a strong culture of respect and accountability stops misconduct long before it becomes an EEOC complaint.
2. Create Safe, Confidential Reporting Channels
If your HR policy doesn’t give employees a safe way to report problems, they won’t say anything. It’s that simple.
Security guard companies should always have:
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Multiple reporting options (direct supervisor, HR contact, anonymous hotline, or online form).
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Clear anti-retaliation protections so employees know their job isn’t at risk.
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Regular reminders that reporting is not just allowed, it’s encouraged.
In my case, the officers didn’t tell me because they were afraid. A well-designed HR policy for security guard companies removes that fear and replaces it with trust.
3. Investigate Quickly and Document Everything
Every HR manager I’ve ever met will tell you: “…if it’s not documented, it didn’t happen.”
When a complaint comes in, investigate immediately. Separate the parties involved, interview witnesses, and document every step; who was spoken to, when, and what was decided.
The EEOC looks for evidence of “good-faith action”. If you can show you acted quickly and responsibly, you stand on much firmer ground legally and ethically.
In our case, the lack of early documentation made it much harder to show that we had responded appropriately. That was a painful but powerful lesson.
Why Strong HR Policies for Security Guard Companies Matter
Security guard companies operate in complex environments, late hours, remote sites, and decentralized teams. Those factors make it easy for inappropriate behavior to go unnoticed. That’s why strong HR policies aren’t just “corporate red tape”; they’re your first line of defense against lawsuits, turnover, and reputational damage.
Today, I help other security companies build policies, procedures, and cultures that protect both their people and their business. And if there’s one message I want to drive home, it’s this:
Don’t wait for an EEOC complaint to make HR a priority. By then, it’s already too late.
Final Thoughts
That EEOC experience was one of the hardest moments in my career, but it also changed how I lead.
If you’re a security company owner or administrator, make sure your HR policies for your security guard company are more than just paperwork; make them part of your culture. Educate your people, empower them to speak up, and hold everyone accountable.
Because at the end of the day, the real measure of a company isn’t just how well it guards its clients, it’s how well it protects its own people.
By Courtney Sparkman
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Courtney is the founder and CEO of OfficerApps.com, a security guard company software provider and publisher of Security Guard Services Magazine. He is a renowned author and security industry syndicator who also hosts an active YouTube channel, helping thousands of his subscribers to grow their security guard companies.
