Creating a civil unrest response plan for your business

The United States Supreme Court’s recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade is just the latest in a string of causes that have led to public outcry and response in the U.S. over the last few years. While the intention of protests is often disruption, they tend to remain peaceful, overall. However, protests can become destructive and violent, and when this happens local establishments tend to pay the price. So, how can businesses prepare for potential civil unrest?

Forming a plan begins with understanding how civil unrest escalates. Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) recently released a risk bulletin about this potential hazard, and they explain civil unrest tends to evolve through three phases:

1. The first phase is the incident initiating a disturbance among a small group of people.
2. In phase two, other people are alerted via news reporting and social media and come to join the smaller group. Often, these individuals are not involved with the cause the protest addresses and will show up merely to loot or otherwise cause damage.
3. The third phase begins when organized groups, with planned disruptive activities directed against targets of opportunity, join the unrest.

“Civil unrest increasingly represents a more critical exposure for many companies than terrorism,” Srdjan Todorovic, head of global political violence and hostile environment solutions at AGCS, said in a press release. “Incidents of social unrest are unlikely to abate any time soon, given the aftershocks of Covid-19, the cost-of-living crisis, and the ideological shifts that continue to divide societies around the world. Businesses need to be alert to any suspicious indicators and designate clear pathways for de-escalation and response, which anticipate and avert the potential for personnel to be injured, and or, damage to business and personal property.”

A civil unrest emergency response plan is imperative for businesses, and employers should begin their preparations by figuring out ways to account for all employees in the event of an emergency, including creating a communication plan for all levels of staff.

Other tips AGCS offers for preparing your emergency civil unrest plan include:

• Review your insurance coverage to ensure you have proper limits and policy terms.
• Maintain ongoing close communication with law enforcement.
• Conduct threat analyses, vulnerability assessments and security audits on a regular basis.
• Establish safe areas in facilities for staff to hide if there is a crisis.
• Find methods for employees to get updates law enforcement or government advisories about instances of civil unrest.
• Develop an evacuation plan and designated relocation destination in case leaving the premises is necessary.

If you are aware of an upcoming protest or event you believe could escalate, you can physically protect your business by covering all windows and doors, closing the business before high-risk times (evening/night, scheduled protests, etc.), add additional security staff, turn on external lighting to increase visibility and remove exterior materials that can be damaged or used to harm a person or other property.

For further tips on how to form your company’s civil unrest plan, the full risk bulletin from Allianz can he found here.

Related:

• PVT market must adapt to help clients amid rising global social tensions
• Managing the challenges of civil unrest
• Businesses should prepare for increased data surveillance in wake of Roe decision