English
New report highlights diffrences in levels of Duty of Care responsibility across European countries
London
Europe lags behind U.S. and Australia in protecting its workforce abroad France leads the way globally with exceptionally high Duty of Care awareness, while Germany is found to be the worst performer
International SOS, the leading global medical and security services company, has released the results of a benchmarking study into how well European companies protect their employees from risks and threats when working abroad.
Based on the responses of nearly 200 European companies, including many from the Global 500, the study found that despite a highly regulated environment, European companies lag behind their U.S. and Australian counterparts in implementing Duty of Care practices. Although respondents carried out risk assessments and put policies and procedures in place, they do less than the rest of the world to implement the necessary actions to protect their employees.
France scored higher than other European countries in all areas of the Duty of Care risk management model, with a much higher score of 69, than Germany which fell short of the mark with a score of 60. The only area where France fell short was in managing global mobility and control and analysis. In terms of assistance, only Switzerland operates above worldwide respondents, whereas the Netherlands ranks the highest for managing global mobility.
The level of risk for European employers is certainly no lower, than elsewhere globally, with European companies more likely to have employees of all types working or travelling to high risk locations than other worldwide companies. The highest risk countries are also major destinations for international business, with Nigeria ranked (1), followed by Pakistan (2), India (3), Mexico (4) and Russia (5). European respondents also reported a higher occurrence of employee threats during the past three years for situations related to travel-related infections and road accidents.
"In the 21st century, Duty of Care should be on the sustainability agenda of any smart employer. Proactively looking after your people is not only the right thing to do - it's much less costly than managing incidents once they've happened," explained Kevin Duffey, managing director for Northern Europe, International SOS. "We would recommend European business leaders view these findings as a first priority. After all, a company's employees are its most valuable asset and companies must be prepared for the unexpected."
Whilst there was a high level of awareness of the importance of Duty of Care amongst medical directors, a lower level of awareness was notable among European senior management, at an executive and country level.
International SOS advises that Duty of Care should be considered everyone's responsibility, as the author of the report, Dr Lisbeth Claus explained: "A joined-up corporate approach to owning Duty of Care is as lacking in Europe as it is worldwide," said Claus. "Decision-making responsibilities around Duty of Care are paramount to an organisation's ability to pro-actively manage risks and threats effectively. Security, risk management, travel and medical professionals already know this, but they face huge challenges in gaining the momentum and resources to implement the necessary strategy. Companies must expand their teams beyond security and collaborate together to provide higher standards of Duty of Care."
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Notes to Editors
About the International SOS Group of Companies The International SOS Group of Companies is in the business of saving lives, protecting your global workforce from health and security threats. Wherever you are, we deliver customised health, security risk management and wellbeing solutions to fuel your growth and productivity. In the event of extreme weather, an epidemic or a security incident, we provide an immediate response providing peace of mind. Our innovative technology and medical and security expertise focus on prevention, offering real-time, actionable insights and on-the-ground quality delivery. We help protect your people, your organisation's reputation, as well as support your compliance reporting needs. By partnering with us, organisations can fulfil their Duty of Care responsibilities, while empowering business resilience, continuity and sustainability. Founded in 1985, the International SOS Group, headquartered in London & Singapore, is trusted by 12,000 organisations, including the majority of the Fortune 500, as well as mid-size enterprises, governments, educational institutions and NGOs. 12,000 multicultural medical, security and logistics experts stand with you to provide support & assistance from over 1,000 locations in 90 countries, 24/7, 365 days.
To protect your workforce, we are at your fingertips: www.internationalsos.com
