HUB International

Geopolitical instability is no longer a distant concern for multinational employers. Whether the flashpoint is the Middle East, Ukraine, Sudan or even a U.S. city, organizations with people on the ground must actively track evolving developments and understand how they affect their workforce

Understanding Your Duty of Care Obligation

It is important to understand that no organization can eliminate risk; however, when a crisis emerges, your organization has a legal and moral obligation to take the appropriate steps and follow a “community standard” that will aid in the protection of every person in your care. That population extends beyond direct employees and includes contractors, board members, consultants and any of their dependents. 

In our experience in managing crisis events in many countries, the biggest stress factor often comes from staff not knowing what to do and feeling anxious about next steps. Three simple actions can really make a big difference for staff: 

1. Offering regular access to updated information

2. Providing clear guidance around whether to shelter in place or leave 

3. Making available around-the-clock emergency assistance professionals for both Medical and Security assistance support.

Executing these three items signals to your team that you have a plan and are ready to provide support. These three items will ease the anxiety substantially for staff that are far from home.  

Best Practices for Demonstrating Duty of Care

A documented duty of care framework does two things: it defines your legal exposure and protects your organization’s reputation when the crisis eventually resolves. How you respond will be remembered.

The main components of the framework include:

1. Locate Your People. Confirm your current headcount of all personnel in or traveling to the affected region, including employees, volunteers, students, contractors and any dependents covered under your duty of care program. Require daily status check-ins from everyone currently in an affected region. If you have an assistance partner, they can provide support with this. Additionally, confirm what passport(s) they hold, as this may impact advice and evacuation plans. 

2. Shelter in Place. The natural instinct for staff is to evacuate or leave the region. This is not only the human instinct, but organizations often trigger this response as well. Remember this is NOT always the safest and best approach. Evacuation attempts can be risky, and it may be best to encourage personnel to shelter in place, ensuring they have access to adequate food, water, medication and communication tools for an extended period of time. Be sure they have a clear understanding of the nearest shelter or safe room, or alternate accommodations if necessary.  

3. Understand Government Assistance. Do not count on embassy support in a fast-moving crisis. Embassies close, get damaged, become overwhelmed and can become the target of the crisis. The organizations that protect their people rely on pre-arranged relationships: dedicated assistance providers, BTA carriers and tested evacuation protocols established before any crisis begins.   

4. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate. Communicate at minimum once daily with all affected personnel. Silence is the enemy during a crisis. Consistent outreach counters anxiety and decision fatigue. Keep messages clear, honest and empathetic, and remind employees of any available Employee Assistance Program resources. Set up a daily brief with the staff that is offered at the same time each day and provides an open communication channel. This can be a virtual meeting and also include email or text communication. Communicating in a standard way daily is essential.  

5. Review Insurance Coverage. Standard international health and travel insurance policies frequently have exclusions for war, terrorism and civil unrest. In atypical circumstances like these, it’s best to consult with your broker to confirm whether your current policies cover:

● Emergency medical evacuation and repatriation in conflict or war-risk scenarios. 

● Political violence and terrorism as standalone covered perils or through an endorsement. 

● War risk through a rider or separate endorsement, as this is not standard. 

● Crisis response services and security evacuation, which are often separate from medical evacuation. 

● Business Travel Accident policy terms under war-risk conditions. 

● Security evacuation triggers that are flexible enough to respond to US Government and your assistance provider recommendations.

● Pandemic Evacuations and Quarantine coverage

1. Establish Contingency Plans. Some crises resolve within a few weeks, but others take longer. Plan now for longer term conflicts. Prepare your organization by asking these important continuity questions: 

● Who are you relying on to have appropriate situational awareness?

● Which roles can be performed remotely, and for how long? 

● Do we have a policy around PTO for employees in conflict zones?

● Are there employment law, tax or immigration implications of extended remote work? 

● Do any employees have visas that may be approaching expiration?

● What specific events will lead you to initiate a full evacuation? 

Organizations that only react to crises lose time they can’t get back. Those with a framework already in place respond faster, protect their people more effectively, and come out of the crisis with their reputation intact. In international benefits, we see this distinction play out repeatedly. Preparation is not a compliance exercise–it is a leadership commitment.