As riots spread across the UK, and tensions rise globally, StrategicRISK speaks to experts about what businesses should be doing to keep employees safe.

The large number of elections this year has created a high-risk environment for businesses of all sizes as they grapple with increasing levels of protests and political unrest.

In the UK, protests by far-right groups, have led to violent riots in towns and cities across England and Northern Ireland.

civil unrest riot burning car violence

Baani Gambhir, lead security analyst, global threat monitoring at International SOS said: “Posts are circulating on social media detailing further planned far right events in the coming days. Reportedly, locations of immigration centres and charities have been shared online, so we can assume that these may be targeted by vandalism and unrest during known protest days. We should also expect surrounding businesses shops to close due to the risk of unrest.

“Anti-racism groups have also organised counter-protests in response to the far-right events, so clashes between the two groups are likely. A national day of protest against the far right has been announced for the 10th of August. So, in a nutshell, a continuation of unrest is expected over the coming days.”

Looking globally, there is political tensions in several countries, in part due to a bumper election year coupled with economic difficulties. In July, there were rallies against the far-right across France, and experts predict that civil unrest will escalate in America as the election looms.

How can businesses protect employees

Civil unrest and rioting present a vast spectrum of intricate risks that organisations urgently need to mitigate against.

The priority should be protection of people, assets and property - in that order. The safety of employees and integrity of assets can quickly be compromised. Organisations should demonstrate an enhanced level of duty of care that sufficiently mitigates the risks posed by such events.

Nathan McGlave, founder at Crypteia Consulting said: “If it appears business operations are at a heightened risk of being impacted by a protest event, management should consider training response protocols.

“This may include briefs on corporate or location-specific response protocols, conducting drills, or training staff on personal security and the individual actions they should take if personnel find themselves caught up in a protest event.”

“Businesses that are able to plan in advance for these scenarios can pre-determine alternative locations within their operational region or country”

He adds that businesses should have an established a set of contingency and response procedures, particularly for locations or critical assets that may be impacted by protests. This often includes pre-determined measures such as:

  • Encouraging or enforcing remote work in flashpoint or impacted areas.
  • An uplift in manned security guarding or personnel
  • Enhancing access control procedures

He says: “Consider developing lockdown procedures, if not already in place for extreme situations, it may be appropriate to lock down a location so there is no permitted entry or exit for a designated period.

“Businesses that are able to plan in advance for these scenarios can pre-determine alternative locations within their operational region or country to absorb certain operations.”

Communication is key

It’s also important to maintain lines of communication with teams in impacted areas.

Organisations should consider weekly or daily check in calls as appropriate providing local employees with effective, quick and regular updates on protest activity that might impact them.

Charly Anderson, senior security specialist, information & analysis at International SOS said: “People should monitor official sources for verified information.

“Security managers … should ensure that their workforce understand how and whom to contact in the event of a security or medical emergency. Security managers should also consider work from home arrangements for workforce until the situation returns to normal.

“Map out locations of workforce accommodations and work sites in relation to the main flashpoints that we have seen thus far, but also note that new hotspots can emerge if protests continue for several days. It’s also important to ensure that all in-country people are well informed about your organisation’s incident management protocols.

Protecting mental health

HR teams should be available for employees that are impacted by civil unrest, especially those who feel personally targeted.

For instance, in the UK, employees from minority communities in areas affected by the riots should maintain regular contact with their line managers, and be aware of internal escalation measures in the event that they are accosted or feel unsafe.

Karla Gahan, head of resilience at Barnett Waddingham said: “On the wellbeing side, there will be a whole spectrum of people from those that are not bothered through to those that are quite fearful.

“This is a time for organisations to walk the talk about valuing the people that work for them.”

“Risk managers should work with HR teams to help share valid local information as a vacuum of information will not help those that are fearful. This is a time for organisations to walk the talk about valuing the people that work for them.”

Mike O’Halloran, director at Conduct Risk says that it is important to understand your employee demographics and to manage the concerns of individual employees. He adds: “Employees will all have families. An employer who discusses familial concerns - home addresses, wider family concerns and helps to share advice will be appreciated.”

“The aftermath will leave scars in the communities. CSR plans and community support initiatives may be both a force for good and revenue generation. This should also include the police and first responders.”

Thinking about insurance

Risk managers should review business interruption (BI) insurance policies to see if they are covered. Some jurisdictions have started legislating businesses to expand their injury prevention programmes so that employees are protected against physical violence from civil disobedience, and it’s possible that legislators in the UK and Europe could follow suit.

O’Halloran says: “Civil unrest, riots etc may only be covered if the business has political violence & terrorism (PV&T) cover. Discuss various scenarios with the company’s insurance broker to confirm cover or exposure. Speak with local security companies if under contract about their advice, response capabilities and times. The gold standard is an employer who knows what’s coming and takes appropriate action.”

Gahan adds: “Depending on your location, you may need to put in extra security measures – either people, or physical barriers. Take specialist advice as needed and again, check with insurers if you are covered.”

Practical tips for organisations in the UK

Karla Gahan, head of resilience at Barnett Waddingham shares practical tips for businesses in riot locations in the UK, which could help address any immediate security concerns.

Now:

  • The immediate concern is safety of people. If your organisation is based in an area where civil unrest is occurring, make sure you have clear messaging plans in place so you can communicate quickly and easily with your people. Tell them where / how they will be able to find updates.
  • Monitor and take note of local police directives – and use this to help your response strategies. If they are advising to avoid an area where you are based, or your people need to travel through, then follow this directive and communicate this to your people.
  • If possible, make plans for people to work from home, or another site (if safe to do so).
  • Working from home or remotely might not be possible for all organisations so ensure you know what your stance / policy is so you can clearly communicate it to your people who will look to you for a definitive answer on what to do. In such circumstances, if you tell people they won’t be paid if they need to stay home for reasons of safety, some people may attempt to come in as they can’t afford not to work. Consider your position carefully.
  • Insurances may not cover your losses if people can’t work due to civil unrest – but check your policies just in case.
  • Even if not immediately impacted, send a message to all people acknowledging the unrest, explaining how you will communicate with them if an issue arises, and set out your position on the situation. If available, offer access to counselling services through benefits programs etc.
  • Make sure there are two-way communication channels with people so you know they are safe – you might use emergency messaging systems, call cascades etc
  • Remember to notify customers / clients / other relevant stakeholders of your plans.

Ongoing:

  • Check your policies on social media posting – while people have a right to post about their personal lives, does the organisation have a position on hate speech / other discriminatory practices? This may be in your DEI, ethics or other policies. Make sure you know the position and as needed, remind people about it.
  • Lean into your DEI practices and colleagues to help draft messaging to people to ensure its inclusive.
  • Check your HR policies – what is your position if a member of staff is arrested at a protest event? Remind people of the policy as needed. Do you have a policy stance on people taking time off to protest?
  • Review your crisis management / business continuity plans – do you understand what you’ll need to do if something happens during the working day, and you’ll need to protect people working on-site? For example, if you need to lock-down your site, do you have food and water supplies to last for a period of time?
  • Risk assess how people can get home / away from the work site – are there any particularly vulnerable people / people who need to travel a long distance? Make plans so these people can remain safe.
  • Consider your travel policies – do people need to be travelling to / from impacted areas – should a pause be placed on travel / meetings / events in these areas?
  • Regularly communicate with your people – keeping them updated will reassure them you are aware of the situation and will help them if the need arises.