With last year’s terrorist attacks in Paris, the Brussels security lockdown and the downing of the Russian jet, employers are concerned with how they can support both local employees and UK staff based overseas, as well as those travelling abroad on business. What impact have these types of events had on short-term assignments? And benefits can employers offer to support employees’ psychological and emotional wellbeing after a crisis?
Terrorist attacks, civil unrest, and natural disasters, such as floods or earthquakes, can have dramatic consequences for individuals. Employers with staff who experience a crisis situation may be powerless to offer the support that is needed at the time. Understanding the risk potential is a good place to start when sending staff overseas, but actual crisis situations often unfold rapidly, and fully protecting employees on the ground in such circumstances can present major challenges.
In 2015 alone, the world experienced political unrest, terrorist attacks and a spate of natural disasters. In Europe, major terrorist incidents occurred in Paris, Japan experienced a number of earthquakes, and political unrest occurred in many countries including Egypt and Bangladesh. The international private medical insurance sector is, in the main, focussed on providing medical treatment at the time of need, but some insurers extend support to members in high-risk situations to include crisis management.
The aim of crisis management assistance services is to provide risk-assessment intelligence pre-trip, information while on assignment and on-the-ground back-up should events take a turn for the worst.
Assessing and monitoring: pre-trip and while on assignment
Comprehensive country-risk reports, territory-specific risk alerts by email and telephone support manned by experts are part of the security assistance packages available from some insurers. Country risk reports and updates allow employers to more easily judge the personal risk to their staff on assignment overseas. Up-to-the-minute information and direct access to advice from the assistance partner will be available in a critical situation.
On the ground back-up
In crisis situations, such as a natural disaster or terrorist attack, the insurer’s assistance partner will monitor and assess the situation and, if critical, implement procedures to evacuate employees to safety.
Following a crisis, the member’s medical insurance will provide access to treatment, if required. Where severe mental trauma has occurred, some international healthcare plans will cover the cost of inpatient psychiatric care for a period of time; either paying for the treatment in full or up to a specified amount.
In an unpredictable world, international employers will want to consider carefully how to ensure employees located abroad have a sufficient level of protection. With some insurers now adding crisis assistance to their health insurance programmes, employers are better able to assess risk and offer professional crisis support for international employees when needed.
| Box: Case study |
A 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit in Nepal on 25 April 2015 with aftershocks reported in the affected area.
A London-based organisation with international staff operating in the area contacted its crisis management assistance provider to discuss staff safety and the support available. Options on the table to protect employees included internal relocations, comprehensive evacuations out of the country and analytical assessments of the situation.
A plan of action was quickly agreed with the assistance company. This included: the production of a map detailing problem areas to assist in locating individuals; the provision of regular country status updates to the organisation’s management team; and the appraisal of the situation by the assistance company’s crisis consultants to determine the type of evacuation required.
Following the initial analysis, charter services and flights were arranged, helicopters deployed and road evacuations put in place.
Throughout the evacuations, prompt updates were provided to the employer regarding the safety of its employees.
Source: red24
Damian Lenihan is sales director at Aetna International.
