Visitor Passes. Visitor Passes increase the security of schools and offices by allowing teachers and security personnel to easily recognize visitors at a glance. By using these brightly colored Visitor Passes, you will be able to instantly increase the safety and security of your students, pupils, staff and employees.
A Sample Policy to Use as a Guide
Every organization and business (from law firms to manufacturing companies) need a policy that addresses visitors to the workplace. These workplace policies protect visitors, employees and the business at-large. Visitors can hurt themselves, hurt others or cause damage to property.
There is also the risk of theft (intellectual or physical), sabotage and even terrorism. While every organization requires something different (a Fortune 50 HQ office experiences a lot more visitors than a small electronics manufacturing shop) the sample below covers the main points.
Visitor access policies are developed by the HR Department and most HR professionals either have a policy or know how to write one. If not, they can get one from a professional organization like SHRM (Society of Human Resource Management).
A Case Sample
Zipline International (a fictitious company) is successful because they hire talented professionals and manufacture leading products in their industry. Because unauthorized visitors can steal intellectual property, become injured in hazardous manufacturing areas or cause harm to employees Zipline implemented a strict visitor access policy. The policy goes far to safeguard trade secrets and protect visitors and employees.
Check in and Check out
All visitors must be registered in the visitor management software system which is operated by the front entrance receptionist. The system records the name and company affiliation of each visitor, as well as the purpose and duration of their visit.
Visitor Badge
At check-in, every visitor has their photo taken and is given a photo ID badge. Along with their photo, the badge displays the visitor's name and the duration of their visit. The visitor's badge must be worn at all times.
Visitors Must Be Accompanied by a Sponsoring Employee at All Times
All visitors must be accompanied by the employee(s) they are visiting for the duration of their stay. This requirement does not apply to visitors from branch offices of Zipline. Special arrangements may be made to accommodate contractors hired for long-term assignments but these arrangements must be cleared with the Security Director.
Photographs
No photographs may be taken without prior approval from the legal department or the Security Director. In addition, photography that is allowed cannot be published without prior approval from the Director of Marketing.
Non-Disclosure
All visitors must sign an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) upon check-in.
Guest Network Access
Visitors requiring internet access are provided with a guest username and password for Zipline's wireless network. At no time is a guest allowed to access the company intranet program with their laptop or another mobile device.
The Role of the Floor Marshall
Any employee who notices a visitor without a badge should immediately bring it to the attention of the designated floor marshall for their area. The floor marshall has first-line responsibility for enforcing the visitor management policy. In the event of an emergency evacuation, the front desk receptionist prints out a list of all visitors and delivers the list to the floor marshall in the evacuation area. Floor marshals are responsible for accounting for all visitors during an evacuation.
Disclaimer:This is a sample policy, and does not constitute legal advice. It is only meant to be a starting point in creating a policy tailored to the specific needs of your company. Zipline International is a fictitious company (to the best of my knowledge) and the name was only used as an example in writing this policy.
Canadian companies must write a letter of invitation when they host business visitors from abroad. Business visitors can be existing or potential buyers, investors, trade show or conference visitors, partners, employees, or individuals coming for training at the company’s facilities.
If you need a visa, a letter of invitation does not guarantee that a visa will be issued. Visa officers assess applicants to find out if they are eligible to visit Canada. Some visa offices may need these letters to be notarized. Contact the Canadian visa office of your visitor’s country to find out if this is required.
If your Canadian company is inviting a visitor, a representative of the company should write the letter. Some firms have specific people who sign letters of invitation. Your company should send each visitor two originals of the letter of invitation, one for them to submit when applying for their visa and one to present when they enter Canada.
Be sure to leave enough time for your visitor’s visa to be processed. See the application processing times to find out how long it may take to process a visa.
Note: You may not need a visa but may need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA).
The letter must include information:
- about the person being invited
- complete name
- date of birth, if known
- the company represented and the person’s position
- the person’s address and telephone number (both work and home)
- your company’s relationship to the invitee and your business history together
- whether you know the visitor personally, and if you are related
- the purpose of the trip (if part of a longer-term project, please provide context)
- the length of time the person will be visiting your company in Canada
- accommodation and living expenses that your company will cover and
- the date the person intends to leave Canada, if known.
- about the person extending the invitation
- complete name
- job title and position in the company
- address and telephone numbers in Canada and
- work email address.
- about the company extending the invitation
- complete name of the company
- headquarters address
- the address of all company facilities to be visited
- the company’s website address, if available
- the company’s date of registration/incorporation and
- a short description of the firm’s type of business.