Workplace safety during civil unrest
Businesses need to have a policy on what to do if the worst case happens and rioters besiege their business.
One of our Out Front Ideas Issues to Watch the last two years has been workplace violence. Our focus has been on the common threats of violence that many workers and businesses are facing.
With the recent civil unrest in several cities, workplaces face potential new dangers from the riots and looting that have unfortunately accompanied some of the peaceful protests. There are several issues that employers need to consider for protecting their employees during these situations.
Monitoring
One of the initial and ongoing protocols should include monitoring the news, social media, and reports from local government officials on the potential for protests near business locations and surrounding areas.
Front-line employees should also be reporting back to the corporate office on these issues so that important decisions related to workplace safety, opening or not, and staffing can be made timely. Although most protests are peaceful, recent civil disobedience across many U.S. cities is leading organizations to revisit crisis planning scenarios and monitoring diligence.
Communication
Maintaining communication with your workforce during a potential crisis should be a top priority — not just with your managers, but the entire workforce.
How are you approaching this/? Do you have an emergency alert system or another way of contacting all employees at a particular location? Communication needs to be consistent, clear and transparent.
Do not leave things up to employee interpretation. Tell them what action they need to take and when and what to expect from your leadership. These situations can change quickly, so it is vital to have a consistent communication plan.
Travel to work
Massive protests can make traveling to and from work difficult with street and highway closures, and public transportation being overwhelmed or closed. Employers need to be mindful of how this impacts the ability of their workforce to get to work. Is parking safe and available? Is the area safe to walk from train or bus stops to the job location? Consider adjusting shift times so that your employees are not trying to come and go during the protest and offer work from home in scenarios where that is an option.
Curfews
Several cities have imposed curfews during times of civil unrest. When this happens, companies should make sure facilities are closing early enough to provide time for your workers to get home before the start of the curfew.
For essential businesses that may be exempt from the curfew, make sure your employees have the appropriate documentation with them at all times in case they are stopped by law enforcement.
Closing
Sometimes the safest option for your employees is to close the business early to avoid it being open during the protests or times of civil disobedience. For the benefit of all, it is essential to make closing decisions as soon as possible so that employees can both avoid coming into work, and get out of a potentially dangerous situation quickly.
Workforce wellbeing
It’s natural for your employees to be apprehensive during these situations, and fear is a common thread. Reminding employees of the benefits and resources available to assist them will be helpful. Offering an employee assistance program can be of particular interest during stressful times, and they may connect the caller with behavioral health counselors. Tele-behavioral health is increasingly available through group health telemedicine programs and is especially helpful for just-in-time care related to civil unrest.
Remind employees of resilience, emotional health and financial resources that are available as part of the employer’s benefits program or the community.
Prepare for the worst
Companies need to have a policy on what to do if the worst case happens and rioters besiege their business. What should your employees do to protect their safety? How should they respond if looters are on the premise? These policies need to be developed well in advance, and employees trained on the proper course of action. A crisis is no time for hesitancy.
Kimberly George (kimberly.george@sedgwick.com) is the senior vice president of corporate development, M&A and health care at Sedgwick. Mark Walls (mark.walls@safetynational.com) is vice president of communications & strategic analysis at Safety National. The opinions expressed here are the authors’ own.
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