They also may be stationed outside at a guardhouse of the sort found at gated communities and use a portable radio or telephone that allows them to be in constant contact with a central station outside the guarded area. Guard work is usually routine, but guards must be constantly alert for threats to themselves and the property they are protecting. Guards who work during the day may have a great deal of contact with other employees and members of the public. Guards usually work at least 8-hour shifts for 40 hours per week and are often on call in case an emergency arises. Some employers have three shifts, and guards rotate to equally divide daytime, weekend, and holiday work.
Guards usually eat on the job instead of taking a regular break away from the site.
Top Guards held over 1 million jobs in 1998. Industrial security firms and guard agencies employed 60 percent of all wage and salary guards. These organizations provide security services on a contract basis, assigning their guards to buildings and other sites as needed. Most other security officers were employed by the organization they are responsible for guarding, such as banks, building management companies, hotels, hospitals, retail stores, restaurants, bars, schools, and government. Guard jobs are found throughout the country, most commonly in metropolitan areas.