Employers are being advised on how to support staff working in organisations blighted by the London riots, which have now spread to other parts of the UK.
Numerous businesses all over the capital, including those based in Tottenham, Hackney, Peckham and Croydon, have suffered from violence and looting. So far, the riots have affected several independent retailers, as well as big chains such as Currys, HMV, Carphone Warehouse and JD Sports.
The Retail Trust has published guidance and set up a helpline to advise retail employers on how to deal with serious incidents that affect staff and property. It urges managers to point staff in the direction of support services, such as occupational health and employee assistance programmes.
Nigel J L Rothband, chief executive officer of the Retail Trust, said: “We have had calls from people who have been directly affected, from families worried about the security of their relatives, and from individuals worried about the spread of the riots to the parts of town in which they work, their personal security, their jobs and what might happen next.
“The effect of such extreme impact on their workplaces can be in the same traumatic vein as suffering a robbery or violence in store, invading, as such activity does, the personal space in which people are used to feeling safe and comfortable.”
Tell us about your thoughts and experiences by commenting below
For more articles on employee assistance programmes
The most important thing is how the employers are seen to respond this. In our experience [this kind of incident], impacts both the short-term and long-term health of the individual employee. It’s about demonstrating and creating faith in the employer at a time such as this.
The managers are absolutely key to this. They need to demonstrate clearly step-by-step how they can support people in the business, as well as employees as far as their homes are concerned. Employees’ family and close friends may also be impacted as well.