Professor Benjamin Bader, Newcastle University Business School
The recent geopolitical events in the Middle East surely are concerning for those directly affected. However, while each conflict is unique, the underlying requirements from an employer point of view are not. For instance, the war in Ukraine, political instability in different regions of the world, sudden crises due to terrorist attacks, and, of course, Covid-19-related border closures, all clearly demonstrated the importance of employer duty of care.
For internationally operating organisations, these events regularly bring the concept of duty of care sharply into focus. From an international HR perspective, duty of care refers to the responsibility employers have to safeguard the health, safety, and wellbeing of employees working abroad. From our research, we know that this responsibility operates on two levels. First, there are legal obligations: employers must take reasonable steps to protect employees from foreseeable harm. Second, there are broader expectations from employees themselves. Increasingly, duty of care is seen as part of the employee value proposition employees expect their organisations to actively support and protect them in challenging environments.
In practice, we see that three principles are particularly important. First, duty of care is not optional. Any organisation sending employees abroad must ensure that appropriate risk assessments, insurance coverage, and emergency procedures are in place. For instance, facilitating evacuation or arranging safe relocation as well as supporting employees’ return to their home country where necessary are key.
Second, employers must ensure they maintain reliable, up-to-date communication channels with employees abroad. When a crisis unfolds, the ability to quickly reach staff, gather information about their situation, and provide guidance is absolutely essential.
Third, preparation matters. Organisations need to establish clear crisis management structures and processes long before a conflict emerges. This ensures employers being able to rely on established procedures and trusted partners to make informed decisions quickly, should the situation abroad require it.
In this regard, although crises cannot always be prevented, responsible employers can ensure they are prepared to protect their staff from a position of acting according to a contingency plan, rather than being reactive.
