Occupational Health Assessment Limited’s research highlights the risks of global employment in an increasingly war-torn world.
A survey of 160 employers representing more than 600,000 employees worldwide suggests that UK Human Resources (HR) departments should urgently review their support and duty of care commitments for workers based outside of the United Kingdom.
The Occupational Health Assessment Limited research took place just five days after the commencement of renewed hostilities in the Middle East, and just two weeks after the Russia / Ukraine war moved into its fifth year of active hostilities.
The survey found that almost all (96%) Human Resources experts believe that their employer should now be actively reviewing their duty of care for overseas workers.
Magnus Kauders, Managing Director of Occupational Health Assessment Limited, commented;
“The last four years – and in particular the last twelve months – suggest that no nation or region is now entirely safe from potential conflict. It follows that the risks to overseas workers should now be urgently reviewed to ensure that the employer meets its duty of care and has practical support in place should employees find themselves in an active or potential conflict zone.
Occupational Health Assessment Limited’s survey also found that almost 1 in 3 (31%) of UK Human Resources teams are responsible for many (15%) or at least a few (16%) workers based outside of the United Kingdom. A further 6% of respondents were from organisations which were themselves the subsidiary of an overseas business.
Steve Herbert, Brand Ambassador at Occupational Health Assessment Limited, observed;
“Experience suggests that overseas employees are often less visible to UK Human Resources teams and it follows that, on occasion, the employer’s duty of care to these workers is perhaps less rigorously enforced than it would be for those employees based here in the UK.
Yet employers still have a duty of care to their overseas workers, and even more so given the many and varied risks of the current decade which includes a pandemic, global warming, and now the very real risks of military conflict. For instance, in recent months we have seen unexpected military action in South America, Africa, the Middle East and even threats to Greenland and (by extension) European nations also.”
Occupational Health Assessment Limited suggest that employers should reconsider their support for overseas workers including medical repatriation options, physical extraction in the event of conflict or disaster, and a review of event limits or other policy clauses that may reduce or remove important insurance cover such as Group Life policies.
For full details of the Occupational Health Assessment Limited research findings please scroll down.
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Survey details & results
The anonymous survey was undertaken on Wednesday 4th March as part of the quarterly Occupational Health Assessment Employment Webinars series. 160 senior HR, Finance, and C-Suite professionals responded representing UK employers in the Private, Public, and Third Sector. In total these organisation employ at least 600,000 employees worldwide.
Survey results and questions:
Q1) Should UK employers review duty of care commitments for overseas employees?
- Yes (96%)
- No (4%)
Q2) Does your UK Human Resources department have responsibility for workers based overseas?
- Yes – we have many employees based overseas (15%)
- Yes – we have a handful of employees based overseas (16%)
- N/A – we are a UK subsidiary of an overseas organisation (6%)
- No – all of our employees are based in the UK (63%)
About Occupational Health Assessment Limited
Occupational Health Assessment Limited is a team of highly qualified and experienced specialists who aim to help employers identify and reduce their workforce health risks.
Headquartered in Guildford, Surrey, the team delivers occupational health support right across the UK and provides assessment appointments within 48 hours of a request. This rapid response service ensures that businesses are provided with all the key data to make robust and swift decisions to reduce absence, support employee wellbeing, avoid presenteeism, mitigate litigation and avoid unwanted negative publicity.
Occupational Health Assessment Limited are a Certified B-Corporation and SEQOHS Accredited occupational health provider and have been independently assessed as meeting high standards of care and service by the Faculty of Occupational Medicine.
Occupational Health Assessment Ltd in numbers:
170 years of combined OH and employee benefits expertise and experience
165 appointments available weekly
325 thousand client employees covered
48 hours to get an appointment
“The service is congratulated on their high level of appreciation and support regarding individual experience, knowledge, and skills and the ongoing development of their staff” SEQOHS Assessment Report
Website: www.occupationalhealthassessment.com
