Security Management during Mass Layoffs
Situation
In France, mass layoffs by foreign employers often lead to violent confrontations, including the detention of managers by staff. A foreign company planned to carry out major layoffs at several French sites.
The company approached SmartRiskSolutions a week before the layoffs were announced with a request to protect the executives when the layoffs were announced.
Approach by SmartRiskSolutions
After an initial meeting with the HR department, SmartRiskSolutions planned and implemented the following measures with the our French crisis response consultant:
- Creating a security concept for the announcement of the terminations at the affected locations
- Analysing the visibility of information about managers and their families from the perspective of potential perpetrators and establishing temporary personal security measures
- Monitoring of classical media, social media and blogs related to trade unions as an early warning system for the development of the situation
- Preparation of internal and external crisis communications
- Briefing HR managers on the process of the layoffs and possible activities of workers and trade unions
- Discreet close protection for the managers by French personal protection officers from SmartRiskSolutions before, during and for a few days after the announcement of the layoffs.
Outcome
Despite the tense situation, the HR managers and site managers were able to announce the lay-off measures and subsequently provide social support to the employees. There was no physical aggression.
