Interna tional Jo urna l o f Applied Research 2023 ; 9 (1 1 ): 250 -2 54

ISSN Print: 2394-7500

ISSN Online: 2394-5869
Impact Factor (RJIF): 8.4
A study on challenges faced by security guards working
IJAR 2023; 9(11): 250-254 for different establishments in teynampet Chennai
www.allresearchjournal.com
Received: 01-09-2023
Accepted: 05-10-2023
Dr. J Maria Agnes Sasitha, Dr. Shanmugapriya S and Anagha S
Dr. J Maria Agnes Sasitha
Head, Department of DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.22271/allresearch.2023.v9.i11d.11387
Sociology, Stella Maris College,
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India Abstract
Security guards are an integral part of the service industry and play a vital role in safeguarding the
Dr. Shanmugapriya S interests of their employers and the general public. It is an occupation predominantly having many senior
Supervisor, Department of
citizens aged 60 and above as employees. The work of security guards is often overlooked and the
Sociology, Stella Maris College,
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
challenges they face are not always adequately documented. This study is intended to understand the
challenges related to their wages, working hours, health aspect, job requirements etc. The chosen
Anagha S methodology for the current study was semi-structured interviews with security guards working in
Research Scholar, Department different establishments in the area of Teynampet, Chennai. The research was able to uncover the main
of Sociology, Stella Maris challenges faced by security guards, especially with regard to financial inadequacy, poor working
College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, conditions, disregard for job description and the role of security agencies in the occupation. The study
India also revealed the several socioeconomic factors behind opting for the job of a security guard. The study
has identified the need for stronger legal and social protections for security guards to ensure that their
rights and interests are safeguarded from exploitation by the agencies. The findings have suggested that
employers and policymakers take steps to address the challenges faced by security guards, including
improving their working conditions and providing better training and support.

Keywords: Security guards, occupational challenges, elderly employment, service industry, security
agencies

Introduction
Security guards working for different establishments across Teynampet in Chennai might have
many challenges that have not been scientifically studied earlier. Hence, this investigation was
taken up including security guards who are registered with a security agency and are not
independently employed. It is important to bring this topic into the research forum as the
service lent by security personnel is indispensable to us and thereby redirect proper support
measures. The research conducted has primarily focused on security guards working in
different establishments and their challenges in relation to their occupation, age, social
position, etc.
For the purpose of gathering knowledge on previously done research in the area of security
services, the research scholar sourced literature for review on research done in “third world
countries” or underdeveloped countries such as Papua New Guinea, and countries in West and
North Africa since India is a developing country and it would not be appropriate to compare
the conditions of security guards in developed countries like North America because the
context is vastly different.
According to a recent study conducted on security guards (Jovanović, J., Šarac, I., 2020) [9], a
connection was found between high occupational stress and health impairments such as
diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases which has severe implications for the
elderly population engaged in security services. Agarwal, C. (2014) [1] in his book has written
about how The Private Security Agencies (Regulation) Act, 2005 in India is instrumental in
paving the way for the economic exploitation of security guards working under agencies since
Corresponding Author: contractual agreements are frequently flouted and enable security agencies to employ security
Dr. J Maria Agnes Sasitha guards with an allowance of very minimum wage.
Head, Department of
Sociology, Stella Maris College,
With the advent of privatisation, a large number of agencies have cropped up to facilitate the
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India proper organisation of security guards thereby changing how the entire sector operates.
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An East African study (Roger, R., Léonce Koffi, E.-E. C., & 4 banks/ATMs, 2 schools, 3 colleges and 2 auditoriums on
Agobe, A. J., 2022) [16] established how security companies the basis of random probability.
in the city of Abidjan have increasingly been gathering The respondents for the study were selected using stratified
political capital and how their development could be viewed random sampling in which the target group was divided into
as “anarchic” in a sense. A recent cross-sectional study various subgroups based on the establishments they worked
(Veljković, D. R., Rancic., 2021) [22] revealed three main for i.e., banks and ATMs, office buildings, housing and
aspects of occupational burnout that included emotional educational institutions. Out of these subgroups, the samples
exhaustion, experiencing depersonalisation and a sense of were selected on the basis of a few important inclusion and
personal accomplishment and also highlighted how increased exclusion criteria. Male security guards who were registered
working hours and working in shifts contribute to a higher with an agency and currently working in establishments such
rate of burnout among security officers. as Banks, ATMs, Schools, Colleges, Offices, and
Research conducted in the area of security services has been Auditoriums were included in the study. It was rare to find
extremely limited and predominantly has dealt with only the female security guards and they were therefore excluded from
male population, citing the reason that women seldom choose the study. Busy establishments such as restaurants and
to be in this field. There has also been lack of information on hospitals refused to give permission to conduct the study and
the financial well-being and social status of those working in were excluded from the study.
the security sector. The socioeconomic reasons for opting for
this profession have not been previously explored and there Participants
has been no specific attention directed to understanding why A total of 75 individuals were approached out of which
the security service sector is predominantly taken up by several refused to participate indicating different reasons,
senior citizens. Thus, the current research undertaken intends citing lack of adequate years of experience in the security
to bridge this gap of knowledge and attempts to address these service and reluctance to participate for fear of misuse of
issues with the following objectives. information and losing their job. Therefore, the final sample
size was taken to be 35.
Objectives
 The specific objectives of the present study were to Table 1: Distribution Of Respondents According to Their
identify and understand the socioeconomic factors Workplace
leading to employment as security guards Place of Work Frequency Percentage
 understand the role of security agencies in recruiting and Apartments 12 34.2%
allocating duties to security guards Offices 7 20%
 find out the perspective of security guards on the social Banks/ATMs 6 17.1%
response and behaviour of the general public towards Colleges 5 14.2%
them Auditoriums 3 8.5%
Schools 2 5.7%
Methodology TOTAL 35 100%
The research used the qualitative method of semi-structured
interviews to collect data. For this purpose, an interview Results and Discussion
schedule was created comprising open-ended questions The research conducted has primarily focused on security
related to their basic demographic details, information about guards working in different establishments and their
their employment history and personal experiences within challenges in relation to their occupation, age, social position,
their occupation as a security guard. To keep the procedure etc. It has managed to review the status of security guards
official, the research scholar contacted a number of security from several sociological standpoints, positioning age as a
agencies through their phone numbers but the agencies determining factor among others. The study focused on
refused to offer a conducive space for the interview and uncovering the socio-economic factors leading to
instructed the researcher to carry out the study in the employment as security guards and attempted to understand
workplace of the security guards directly. Therefore, security the role of security agencies in the contractual labour of
guards in the area were individually approached. As a result, security guards. Some of the salient findings of the research
all the respondents of the study randomly belonged to 18 are listed below:
different agencies. The Indian Law recognizes individuals aged 60 and above to
be senior citizens. In this study, 34% of the respondents
Sampling Technique belonged to that category, closely followed by 31% of
The population identified for this study included security respondents in the age group of 50-60. There was
guards who were currently employed in security agencies and considerably less number of security guards below the age of
were working for different establishments such as residential 40 years or above 70 years of age both of which fell under
areas, office buildings, educational institutions etc excluding 10%.
hospitals and restaurants To gauge the financial necessity of security guards, the
On reviewing a list of areas in Chennai that are known for respondents were asked about the number of family members
their residential areas as well as commercial establishments, at home and whether they were the sole financial provider for
the central area of Teynampet (Zone IX, Ward No. 113) was the family. With regard to marital status, 86% of security
chosen purposefully, in order to get relevant data for different guards interviewed were married while only 15% of them
establishments. A list of prominent streets in the revealed that they were unmarried or widowed. In most cases,
neighbourhood of Vannia Teynampet was created by the there were more than 4 members in the family including the
researcher manually and a list of establishments was made. respondent, closely followed by 5 and more members. It was
The researcher selected 15 residential apartments, 10 offices, found that having a large family size increased the financial

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obligations of individuals, leading them to seek employment working for all days of the month with no leave, the salary
to support the family financially. In this study, it was found received is very less due to the interference of the security
that respondents residing alone were less engaged in labour agency.
in comparison to respondents residing with family members When asked why they sought employment as a security guard
who were engaged in gainful employment well into old age, specifically, up to 70% of the respondents mentioned vaguely
more specifically in the security sector. about either being illiterate or only having completed primary
In order to gain a better understanding of their employment school. As a result, they had predominantly worked in jobs
history, respondents were asked about their previous that required manual labour rather than educational
occupation. Their narrations revealed that sometimes, their qualifications, therefore naturally seeking employment in the
previous occupation led them to take up a job as a security security sector after their retirement from manual labour.
guard to overcome losses incurred in business and repay 15% of the total respondents who had undergone a workplace
debts. A vast number of respondents (34.2%) earlier used to accident said that they had no other choice but to take up a
take part in loading and unloading shipments, agriculture, job like that of a security guard to avoid physical exertion.
construction and other miscellaneous jobs categorised under 65% of the total sample population reported that they lost
manual labour. They shared that advancing age meant that their previous job after the age of 50. They revealed that if
they could no longer be engaged in physically strenuous they sought starter-level work in a company, they had to start
labour and hence, they opted for working as a security guard from a low-level wage which was insufficient.
which they considered to be a relatively less demanding job. The study was able to uncover significant data regarding the
working conditions of security guards working for different
Table 2: Previous Employment Before Entering the Security establishments. Some duties that the security guards have
Industry been performing included doing door delivery, cleaning the
Previous Employment Frequency Percentage doorway etc., which has not been stated in their job
Business 8 22.8% description.
Loading job 5 14.2% It was found that some of the leading socioeconomic factors
Manufacturing Company 4 11.4% behind individuals seeking employment as security guards
Agriculture 3 8.5% were the lack of financial stability and retirement from other
Auto Driver 3 8.5% jobs due to old age. Over 70% of the study population was
Security Industry 3 8.5% above the age of 50, who cited that they withdrew from
Supervisor 3 8.5% manual labour due to ageing. However, they could not stop
Army / Police 2 5.7% working due to financial obligations and therefore, opted for
Construction 2 5.7% a security job. Moreover, the general working conditions
Miscellaneous 2 5.7% were viewed as comfortable, in stark contrast to their
TOTAL 35 100% previous job that involved strenuous physical exertion.
On a positive note, it could be considered important that
Adding onto the reasons for discontinuing their previous job, certain participants mentioned that they chose to engage in
some participants revealed that they lost their job due to the productive labour not solely due to financial necessity. 15%
manufacturing company unexpectedly being shut down. of the respondents reported that they did not like to sit idle in
Some had undergone an occupational hazard that had the household and wanted to support their family in whatever
rendered them unable to continue their work. Financial way they could manage. According to the active ageing
necessity coupled with the lack of qualifications necessary to theory proposed in social gerontology, studies suggest that
pursue a job in other fields prompted many of the respondents being involved in productive activities well into old age can
to seek work in the security sector help people retain their sense of individuality and maintain a
circle of social connections. True to the theory, a considerable
Table 3: Amount of Salary Received as a Security Guard Per
number of respondents reported being happy and satisfied to
Month
be working every day because they enjoyed the commute and
Amount of Salary of Security Guards Frequency Percentage interacting with new people. Around 20% of respondents in
Below 10,000 4 11% the age group of 60 and above shared that one of the positive
10,000 - 12,000 15 43% aspects of their job was meeting with a number of people
12,000 - 15,000 13 37% every day like domestic help workers, tea-givers etc., with
15,000 - 20,000 1 3% whom they are able to strike up a conversation and build a
Above 20,000 2 6% bond. This is significant because, as the study of social
TOTAL 35 100%
gerontology suggests, it is important for elderly persons to
have an active social life so that they remain mentally active
The standard number of working hours per shift was recorded and feel integrated with society rather than feeling detached.
as 12 hours for all days of the month, devoid of paid holidays Viewing the obligation to keep working into old age from
or medical leaves with compulsory alternation between day within the context of the Indian patriarchal society, an ideal
and night shifts each week. They suffer pay cuts on account of considering men as the primary financial providers of a
of their absence. Some revealed that the agency was strict household has been long upheld. They are seen as heads of
about leaves, despite pay cuts, often threatening to remove the household and there has always been a level of
the security guard from duty in the case of more than 5 days importance and worth associated with working and not
of absence in a month. Additionally, the respondents also staying idle. Some respondents expressed fear that they may
reported that they did not have a choice in opting for day or lose respect or even their place in the house if they do not earn
night shifts and had to alternate between one week of the day and contribute to the household. Elderly individuals gained a
shift and one week of the night shift. One of the primary feeling of autonomy by continuing to earn because of a sense
concerns raised by all of the respondents was that despite
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of gratification and independence in being able to afford by overworking them beyond their job description and
one’s personal needs without relying on others. financially by charging a high commission fee was also
Security guards are increasingly employed solely through discovered. Aided by the questions in the interview about the
agencies and not independently. The security guards have no social implications of the job, the study was able to elicit the
say over where they are placed and mainly, such an perspective of security guards on how they are treated by the
arrangement adversely affects their remuneration. One general public that they interact. They appreciated their job
significant finding of this study was regarding the role of for giving them the opportunity and space to interact with a
security agencies in the profession of security guards. All of large number of people every day, which they would not be
the respondents sampled for the study were employed on a able to do if they had gone into retirement.
contractual basis which means that the security agency they
are registered to will work with different establishments like Recommendations
companies and residential communities to find out their Through the research study conducted, it was observed that a
security needs and provide the required employees as part of vast number of senior citizens beyond their retirement age are
a contract. When they receive a request for appointing a currently employed in the organized sector of security
security guard, they get in touch with the registered candidate services. Keeping in mind this fact, security agencies and the
and allot work after discussing contract details with the government should consider new policies and welfare
employer regarding salary. With the advent of security measures such as basic health insurance to safeguard their
agencies acting as intermediaries, contractual terms dictate wellbeing Future research and longitudinal studies can help
the way in which security guards operate. uncover more about the long-term effects of working in the
There has been an overall ambiguity when discussing the security sector and contribute to the academic information
roles and duties expected of a security guard, particularly in available related to the field of security guards. The study has
housing associations. This has led to a situation where identified the need for organizations to independently hire
security guards are overworked and exploited for their labour security guards and not rely upon middlemen like agencies in
without adequate pay because they are unaware of their order to curb the exploitation of security guards. The
rights. Exclusion of security guards from the process of formation of a security guards’ union is also deemed
discussing the terms of the contract has been a form of necessary in order to rectify the power imbalance that is
violation by recruitment agencies. currently prevailing in the security sector and overcome other
While discussing the financial aspects of the contractual challenges as identified by the study.
agreement, the respondents revealed that up to 30-40% of the
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