As countries close their borders and business shut their doors, it is becoming more and more apparent how the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic downturn is changing our world forever. The far-reaching consequences may be felt for years to come. In the last 60 days we have seen case counts rise dramatically, the economy crumble and workers furloughed or laid off.
These forces are escalating fear and uncertainty as we can see in behavior such as a surge in nationwide gun sales.
As with gun sales, experts are predicting a dramatic rise in workplace conflict and violence, with companies experiencing an increase in physical and psychological harm to employees, leading to reputational damage and lawsuits which compound the downside for employers.
It’s often difficult to think clearly in times of crisis but there is great upside to being able to do so. There are steps that we can take now to reduce collective stress, identify unknown threats, and mitigate these threats.
Companies can better identify threats through clear, cogent steps. Experts recommend at a minimum that you perform routine security risk assessments, install a case management system to track incidents, and monitor social media for threats to your organization.
Companies can mitigate these threats with a few critical steps. Experts recommend that you develop a comprehensive conflict and violence prevention plan, regularly train employees in conflict and violence prevention methods, and create a system to rapidly and appropriately respond to events as they happen in real time. The more appropriate and coordinated the response, the safer you will be.
It’s easy to become hyper-focused on how today’s health crisis and the economic fallout is impacting us. But if we lose focus on what we can control, then we will not be prepared to rapidly identify and mitigate the inevitable, second-order risks with tools that are available to us.
Our organization specializes in helping companies manage these risks. We have over 100 years of combined experience in federal and state law enforcement and military Special Operations. Whether you decide to consider our services or create a DIY system on your own, we are here to help and answer your questions.
The important thing is that you find a way to keep your people safe and properly manage your company’s ever increasing risk in the category of conflict and violence.
If you have any questions about this risk category or what you should be doing now to manage these risks, click here to schedule a free call with one of our trusted expert advisors.
Stay safe.
