Employers of overseas staff must be prepared for risks, including political and civil unrest, conflict, natural disaster, and medical outbreaks, say the international employee benefits specialists at Everywhen. In such situations, employees will look to their employer for support, and employers have a duty of care to have that support in place.
In the latest research run by Everywhen, 21% of employers who have employees overseas said they are concerned about the threat of political unrest, conflict or war, 18% say they are concerned about environment threats such as floods, and 22% are worried about medical outbreaks such as a pandemic. Employers must provide support to help them manage these concerns.
Sarah Dennis, head of international, Everywhen says:
“Unrest, conflict, natural disasters and medical outbreaks can happen at any time and in any location, and situations can escalate quickly. It’s vital that support is in place beforehand, and that both employers and employees know what the protocols are in such an event.”
Global employers need to have a good understanding of potential risks wherever they have staff based, or wherever they are considering having staff based. They need to know how all staff may be impacted, and the implications for wider regions. They need to have protocols ready should an event occur, and both employers and employees need to know what those are.
Specialists can advise on potential risks and what companies need to do to prepare. And only reputable sources of guidance should be sought, such as the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
Procedures for communications need to be understood, employers need to be able to trace all their staff and keep in touch to share information, updates, alerts, and provide advice and support.
Employees need to know how they can be prepared beforehand too. For instance, in the event of unrest or conflict, employees may be advised to Stand Fast or Shelter in Place, and they need to know what this means in practice and what they can do to be ready, such as getting together a Shelter in Place kit with drinking water and non-perishable food. It’s also vital that robust evacuation and relocation plans are ready in advance in the event that they’ll be needed, and both employers and employees need to know their roles in such a situation.
Sarah Dennis adds:
“We can’t stress enough how important it is for employers to prepare for emergencies beforehand. The good news is that support is available, and experts are on hand to help. We’d very much encourage employers to make the most of the specialist support available.”
