employee safety

How Global Mobility Specialists Can Help Protect Health, Safety of Assignees   

After he has signed the deal and agreed to come onboard, three important things will probably keep your assignee up at night, until you have answered them to his satisfaction. His compensation package and the pay he gets after taxes make the top of the list. Next are his living conditions, especially if he is bringing his family with him. The third one is his physical safety and well-being while working in his assigned company. Assignees not sure of the environment they are relocating to will dwell on the third concern.

His care is or should be paramount to the organization. That is something that you can emphasize to him, particularly if a health insurance coverage supports your words. The company will not gamble or risk his safety because it values him and his contribution, and negligence will not help achieve its own goals. Moreover, the government’s own Occupational and Safety Health Administration Act mandates all companies to provide a “safe and healthy workplace” to all its employees, including foreign assignees.

American companies which normally follow this law are often equipped to handle the care of their staff. An assignee working in a relatively friendly state like Northern California, and perhaps in a high-tech hub like Silicon Valley, may have nothing to worry about — as far as his day-to-day safety is concerned.

Still, it pays to prepare for the unexpected, and seasoned human resource workers say that any staff’s physical well-being can be compromised by an incident, a calamity, or a socio-economic development. Some of these include on-premise medical emergencies like a wound inflicted by the collapse of an infrastructure; outbreaks of illnesses that may require immunization; and vehicular accidents in the performance of company business.

Criminal threats made to high-ranking foreign executives can also happen. The assignee might unknowingly violate a state or federal law, and a cop swoops in to arrest him. Or he might knowingly violate it if provoked enough, like racist remarks in a bar leading to punches being thrown between the offender, assignee, and everyone else caught in-between.

The following methods can help mitigate the risks in these scenarios and help ensure the safety of your assignee and other employees:

Contain travel risks

Every aspect of a business trip, from the first departure out of the office to settling down in the destination apartment, must be mapped out. Assess every risk and consult immigration or the state authority if necessary. Follow rules if specific guidelines are to be observed. If the networking conference center is close to neighborhoods with a high crime rate, the best advice you can give your assignee is to confine his activities in his apartment, or with other colleagues. The communication line between the assignee and the home office must always be open and uninterrupted.

Ensure that your office infrastructure is strong and accident-free. The collapse of a wall, an electric wire gone awry, or even a slippery floor that can cause a slip, can not only injure your assignee but could lead to a lawsuit as well. The best way to prevent this is to work with your Maintenance Department to see to it there is no leak, breach, or weak link in any of the structure.

Have important players in the assignee’s environment and work life, like the nearest hospital, police station, and housing accommodations on your hotline. It would also be advisable that he has them as well. Knowing the right number to call in case you need an ambulance or a police officer might just save your assignee’s life and limb.

Regular training sessions on how to behave in the event of a calamity can also empower your assignee should he face this kind of situation. Fire and earthquake drills are par for the course. Perhaps a workshop on defending himself against criminal assailants might come in handy.

Finally, emphasize to your assignee that he carries his fair share of responsibility as far as his safety and care are concerned. He should study the laws of his new region and/or country to reduce his risks of breaking them. And while his company will do its part of strengthening its structural integrity, he should also see to it that his home and accommodations are safe and conducive to rest and relaxation. California Corporate Housing equips its fully furnished apartment units with the latest safety measures and technological accessories to assist him in reaching this goal.