Safety Norms: Executive Assistant Services

1Purpose, Scope, and Safety Principles

These norms set minimum expectations for executive assistant services, the administrative support work that keeps an executive's calendar, correspondence, travel, meetings, documents, and payments organized. They apply to employees, contractors, and temporary staff, whether work happens in a corporate office, a home office, a hotel, a conference venue, or while traveling with an executive. They do not replace employment policies, collective agreements, data protection rules, or industry-specific obligations.

Three principles guide every norm. First, people come before schedules, so no meeting, deadline, or travel plan justifies unsafe conduct. Second, information moves only on a need-to-know basis. Third, when a request falls outside documented authority or training, stop, verify, and escalate rather than improvise.

• Mandatory: follow written organizational policies on confidentiality, access control, expenses, and gifts.
• Recommended: keep a short personal reference of the policies that apply to your role and review it at each role change.

2Roles, Competence, and Accountability

The executive sets priorities and retains decision authority. The executive assistant acts only within delegated authority, which should be recorded in a written delegation matrix stating who may approve spending, sign documents, accept meetings, release information, and commit staff time. The supervisor or designated manager owns that delegation. Facilities staff manage building safety and emergency plans. Information security staff set access rules and handle suspected compromise. Human resources and the privacy or compliance function advise on personal data, workplace conduct, and reporting obligations.

Competence is verified before access is granted. Assistants need documented training on information handling, recognizing fraud, workstation setup, fire and evacuation procedures, and travel security awareness. Training records should show completion and when refreshers are due, but keep those records in the learning system rather than in this document.

• Mandatory: no one signs contracts, approves invoices, or commits funds beyond written delegated limits.
• Mandatory: complete privacy, information security, and emergency procedure training before receiving access to executive systems or building emergency roles.
• Mandatory: report any instruction that conflicts with policy to the supervisor or compliance contact before acting on it.
• Recommended: maintain a current contact sheet with after-hours numbers for facilities, IT security, and the executive's security team, stored in two secure locations.

3Course-Specific Hazards and Risk Assessment

Executive assistant work hazards fall into five groups: information, financial, physical, travel and external, and emergency. Many hazards are invisible because they arrive as ordinary emails, calls, or calendar invitations. Assess each recurring task at intake and again whenever the executive, venue, system, or building changes. Rate each hazard by likelihood and severity on a simple one to five scale. Any hazard rated high must have a documented control in place before the task continues.

Risk ratings are local judgments, not statistics. Document the reasoning so the rating can be reviewed. Where a hazard involves personal safety threats, stalking, or workplace violence, the assessment belongs with security and human resources rather than with the assistant alone.

• Payment redirection and spoofed executive requests: high likelihood and high severity. Example: an urgent email asks you to change a vendor bank account or pay a new invoice by gift card.
• Disclosure of executive location, travel, or home address: high severity. Example: a shared itinerary is forwarded to an unapproved recipient.
• Unsecured confidential paper and screens: medium likelihood, high severity. Example: board papers left in a printer tray or visible in a shared meeting room.
• Cumulative musculoskeletal strain: medium likelihood, medium severity. Example: long periods of typing and phone use at a poorly set up desk.
• Slips, trips, and falls: medium likelihood, medium severity. Example: cables across a walkway, boxes stacked near exits, or wet floors near a pantry.
• Aggressive visitors or unwanted approaches: low to medium likelihood, high severity. Example: a visitor who insists on access beyond reception or repeatedly contacts staff outside business hours.
• Building emergencies and power loss: low likelihood, high severity. Example: a fire alarm activates during an executive meeting with external guests.

4Preventive Controls for Information and Payments

Most serious harm in this work comes from information and financial decisions rather than physical incidents. Verify every request that changes money, access, or personal data through a second channel the requester did not supply, such as a known phone number from the official directory or an established approval workflow. Urgency and secrecy are warning signs, not reasons to skip verification.

Use approved systems for all executive business. Do not forward confidential material to personal email, consumer messaging apps, or unmanaged cloud storage unless the organization has explicitly approved that channel. Keep passwords and authentication devices personal and never share them, even with the executive, unless an approved delegation tool provides controlled access.

• Mandatory: confirm any new or changed bank details, payment instruction, or gift purchase through a verified channel and record the confirmation.
• Mandatory: grant calendar, mailbox, and file access only as delegated, and remove access when a delegation ends.
• Mandatory: lock screens when stepping away and never leave authentication devices or printed confidential material unattended.
• Recommended: use privacy filters and shared-screen awareness in open offices and when working in public places.

5Safe Work Practices for Office, Travel, and Events

Office practices should reduce strain, trips, and unplanned access. Set up the workstation so the keyboard, mouse, and screen allow relaxed shoulders and a neutral wrist position, and adjust chair height so feet rest flat on the floor. Take short breaks from continuous typing and phone calls as your local policy requires. Keep walkways, exits, and electrical panels clear, and report damaged cords or overloaded power strips to facilities rather than repairing them yourself.

Travel and event support requires advance planning. Share itineraries only with people named on the approved distribution list. Confirm venue security arrangements, emergency contacts, transport providers, and accessibility needs before booking. Do not carry sensitive documents in checked luggage without approval, and report lost devices immediately.

• Mandatory: ask visitors to sign in, show identification where your site requires it, and escort them beyond reception areas.
• Mandatory: do not lift loads beyond your capacity; request help or use a trolley for awkward or heavy items.
• Mandatory: do not drive or operate vehicles for executives unless you hold the license and authorization required by your employer and jurisdiction.
• Recommended: keep a travel readiness pack with a charged mobile device, power bank, copies of key contacts, and any emergency information the traveler has chosen to share.

6Equipment, Environment, and Protective Safeguards

Equipment must be used according to manufacturer instructions and local electrical and office safety rules. Shredders, binding machines, paper cutters, and label printers carry specific hazards, including jammed blades, pinch points, and hot surfaces. Only trained staff should clear jams or open guards. If a device is damaged, tag it out of service and notify facilities. Verify the manufacturer manual and local requirements, because specifications and approved accessories differ by product and jurisdiction.

Environmental controls include adequate lighting, temperature, ventilation, and noise levels for focused work. Report poor air quality, persistent odors, or water leaks promptly. Keep food and drink away from paper and electronics. Personal protective equipment is rarely needed for routine office work, but when tasks involve cleaning supplies, toner, or pest control products, consult the safety data sheet and the facilities team before handling them.

• Mandatory: shred confidential paper and keep shred bins locked and labeled.
• Mandatory: keep emergency exits, extinguisher locations, and first aid kits unobstructed, and report any missing items.
• Recommended: use ergonomic accessories such as a document holder or headset for long calls, provided they are approved under organizational purchasing rules.

7Incident, Emergency, and Escalation Procedures

Report every incident, near miss, or suspected security event within the timeframe required by your organization, and never delay a report to avoid blame. Near misses include a misdirected email caught before sending, a payment request stopped by verification, or a visitor refused entry. Record what happened, when you noticed it, who was involved, what you did, and what information may have been exposed. Preserve evidence such as emails and call logs rather than deleting them.

In an emergency, call local emergency services first, then notify facilities and your supervisor. Do not attempt rescues, fight fires, or move injured people beyond basic first aid for which you are trained. Follow the evacuation route and assembly point posted for the building, and account for your executive and guests if you hold a designated role. This document does not replace professional emergency response.

• Mandatory: report suspected payment fraud or account compromise to your supervisor and information security immediately, and do not reply to the suspicious sender.
• Mandatory: if a visitor or contact threatens harm, leave the area if safe, notify security, and document the threat in writing.
• Mandatory: after any suspected breach, change passwords through approved channels and let information security decide which notifications are required.
• Recommended: practice call trees and evacuation roles during scheduled drills.

8Records, Training, Monitoring, and Review

Keep records that show decisions were authorized and controls were followed. These include delegation matrices, verification logs for payments and bank changes, visitor logs where used, incident reports, training completions, and equipment inspection records. Retain records according to the organization's retention schedule and applicable privacy rules, which vary by jurisdiction and should be confirmed with the records or legal team. Store records in approved systems with access limited to people who need them.

Review these norms when roles change, after any incident, when systems or buildings change, and during scheduled management reviews. Supervisors should sample verification logs and access lists. Teams should share lessons learned without assigning blame where a near miss reveals a process gap, and improvements should be recorded and communicated.

• Mandatory: complete refresher training when procedures change or after a significant incident.
• Recommended: conduct a short peer review of a sample of payment and access decisions periodically.
• Recommended: reference current responsible roles in local procedures rather than individual personal contacts.

Implementation checklist

• Confirm your delegated authority in writing before approving any payment, contract, or commitment.
• Verify every bank change or urgent payment request through a second, known channel.
• Use only approved systems for confidential executive information.
• Lock screens and secure printed material whenever you leave your desk.
• Confirm visitor identity and escort visitors beyond reception.
• Set up your workstation and take breaks to reduce strain and fatigue.
• Keep exits, walkways, and electrical equipment clear and report defects.
• Report incidents and near misses immediately and preserve evidence.
• Know your building evacuation route, assembly point, and emergency contacts.
• Confirm current laws, policies, and vendor instructions with qualified authorities before adopting procedures.