Two Masters: Navigating Loyalty as a Security Guard

When you pin on that security badge each morning, you're stepping into a role that demands a delicate balance. As a security guard, you serve two entities that don't always align perfectly: your employer, the security company that signs your paycheck and your client, the business or property owner where you're actually posted.

Your Company Comes First

Your primary allegiance belongs to the security firm that hired you. They're responsible for your training, equipment, benefits, and career advancement. When you follow their protocols, complete their required reports, and represent their brand professionally, you're building your future in the industry. Your company sets the standards you must meet, and they're the ones who will defend you if something goes wrong, provided you've followed their procedures.

This means adhering to their uniform standards, documentation requirements, and chain of command. If there's a serious incident, you report to your company supervisor first, not directly to the client. Your company's policies on use of force, emergency response, and liability protection exist to safeguard both you and them.

Your Assignment: Serving the Client

But here's where it gets nuanced. Day to day, you're working for the client, the business owner, property manager, or facility director who contracted your company's services. They have specific needs: protecting their assets, ensuring their employees feel safe, maintaining their property's reputation.

You'll take direction from the client's management about site-specific concerns, shift priorities, and immediate threats. They know their property, their people, and their risks better than anyone. Ignoring their guidance makes you ineffective at your post, no matter how well you follow company protocol.

When Worlds Collide

The tension arises when company policy and client demands conflict. Maybe the client wants you to physically remove trespassers, but your company's policy is to observe and report only. Perhaps they're asking you to work outside your scheduled hours without proper authorization. Or they want access to surveillance footage that your company considers proprietary.

In these moments, remember: your company's policies protect you legally and professionally. A client's request that violates your training or company guidelines can expose you to personal liability. Always escalate conflicts to your company supervisor rather than trying to navigate them alone.

The Professional Balance

The best security guards master this dual loyalty by being transparent. Communicate your company's limitations to the client professionally. Keep your company informed about the client's evolving needs. Be the bridge, not the barrier.

You work for your security company. You work with your client. Understanding that distinction will carry you through a long career keeping people and property safe.