Facebook to Launch Safety Check for Businesses Next Year

The world's largest social media network is planning to launch a new feature that will help employers create a safe working environment for their employees. Known as Safety Check, the feature will launch next year for Facebook Workplace. 

What is Facebook Workplace exactly? Launched 2016, Facebook Workplace is a business-oriented communication and messaging system that's designed specifically for businesses and their employees. It allows employees to easily collaborate on projects while also receiving news and updates from their employer. And with Safety Check, Facebook Workplace is about to get even better.

According to Facebook's Christian Gallai, Safety Check will help businesses spread awareness when an injury, illness or accident occurs. "With Safety Check for Workplace, we enable companies to spread awareness about a crisis as it unfolds. We quickly connect the people who need help with the people who can provide help at your company," said Christian Gallai, Product Manager, Safety Check for Workplace

Safety Check has actually been available for Facebook's standard platform since 2014. However, this is the first time that it's coming to Facebook Workplace.

It's a common assumption that Facebook is used only by consumers. While billions of consumers use Facebook on a regular basis, though, the social site has also become a key tool used by businesses. From small businesses to Fortune 500 companies, countless businesses use Facebook to keep in touch with their customers as well as their employees. The new Safety Check for Workplace feature will make the social site an even more powerful tool for businesses. Using this feature, businesses can push news and updates to their employees, notifying them when an injury, illness or accident occurs.

Facebook explains by saying that during an emergency, speed matters. The longer it takes for businesses to notify employees of an injury, illness or accident, the greater the risk of it recurring. Facebook is attempting to tackle this problem head on by providing businesses with a convenient, versatile communication and messaging platform.

Safety Check isn't the only new feature that's coming to Facebook Workplace. The social media network says that it's introducing several new features as well. For example, Facebook Workplace will receive a "Do Not Disturb" feature, which as the name suggests, allows users to disable notifications and/or set up an "away" message.

You can learn more about Safety Check for Workplace by visiting the official Facebook blog here.