Tesco has given its UK employees opt-in free access to the personal safety app, Peoplesafe, that can track their journeys and help them to raise the alarm if they don’t feel safe.

The retailer says the introduction of the app follows feedback from colleagues who said they sometimes felt unsafe travelling to and from work.

Employees who choose to download the app can get 24/7 protection whether commuting for work or for personal journeys. By setting their destination and mode of transport before travelling, the app can automate welfare checks on their mobile and allows them to raise an SOS alert if needed.

If the user doesn’t arrive at their destination on time or fails to respond to messages asking if they feel safe, the Peoplesafe control room will call to check and can raise an alarm directly with the police if necessary.

Once they arrive at their destination, the app automatically closes the tracing process. Tesco does not receive any personal information about any colleague’s use of the app or any alarms raised.

“We believe colleagues will really value the peace of mind offered by knowing that their journey is being monitored and help is quickly available if they encounter any issues. They deserve to always feel and be safe, at work or in their personal lives.”

Rachel Bennett, Shrink and Security Director, Tesco.

Research from the Overcoming the Employee Safety Gap report by Peoplesafe found that 60% of people feel unsafe travelling on public transport during unsocial hours and 50% of people worry about travelling to and from work alone.

Commenting on the implementation, Naz Dossa, CEO at Peoplesafe said: “We want to commend Tesco for going above and beyond to protect their workforce. By prioritising the safety of colleagues both in-store and during their commutes, they’re showing a real commitment to their people and setting a powerful example of putting employee safety first.”

The initiative also has support from the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW) with Daniel Adams, National Officer for the trade union noting its “Safe Journeys to Work” campaign has long highlighted the problems workers can face when travelling to and from their place of employment, particularly in the evening, late at night and early in the morning.

Tesco says the app is intended as an additional safety tool for use outside of work and does not replace any of the measures it has in place in its stores to protect colleagues while they’re working – including panic buttons, protective screens and bodycams.