Remote Layoffs & Risk Management Considerations

Remote layoffs are an unfortunate part of business in today’s digital world. When many industries shifted to a remote model of work during and after the pandemic, the nature of employee terminations shifted with it. High-risk employee terminations haven’t gone away just because your workforce does not need office space. Employers will have to consider the new normal of layoffs that come with unique security risks and new levels of uncertainty.

Many industries including finance, tech, marketing, education, and healthcare are facing the harsh reality that they will have to let go of their remote workforce. It can be incredibly difficult for HR managers to “read the room” in a remote work environment and assess whether an employee termination will turn high risk” Luckily, there are several tools that can assist HR with their needs while ensuring security risks are addressed before, during, and after a remote layoff. HR should never assume that their next wave of employee terminations will be free from risk. Plan and respond appropriately alongside AFIMAC Global. 

Remote Layoffs & Security Risks To Corporate Data

One of the most common issues tied to a mass layoff conducted remotely is the risks to your corporate data. Disgruntled employees may look at trade secrets, client information, and personal details of executives as information that can be taken along with them. In some cases, such information can be made for sale to competitors, or even on the dark web. Passwords used to access internal software systems open the door for any bad actor to infiltrate your business, exposing the organization to cyber security risks that could arise months later.

Should sensitive corporate information fall into the wrong hands, the threats to the business are endless. With the right remote layoff planning, however, any organization can mitigate such risks. Many third-party security companies such as AFIMAC Global are keenly aware of the security risks that come with a remote termination, helping employers plan for layoffs and conduct them in such a way that protects important corporate data.

Scanning Social Media For Risk

Former employees may leave honest reviews of their experience with your business, or vent their frustrations on popular social channels after being terminated. The feedback may be harsh, but these social posts present limited in-person security risks and are a cost of laying off a remote workforce. In especially contentious situations, some former employers may attempt to slander key executives or paint false narratives on popular forums and message boards.

Many employers are, however, unaware that social media can be leveraged to their advantage. HR can implement social listening services when they are planning an employee termination, working to take a temperature reading of their staff before a remote layoff. In many cases, employers will identify online behaviors that can help them pinpoint which employees may present security risks upon being laid off by their employer. With such information, employers and HR can preemptively plan for security risks, while gathering information that can support their decision.

In-Person Security Risks

Even if your entire business is in a virtual environment, there is a chance that former employees may act out after being laid off. Some staff may present risks to themselves or others, along with HR managers and senior leaders. Those who are truly upset after receiving the unfortunate news may look at the executive team as the reason for their layoff. In these cases, some former employees may go to great lengths to identify an executive’s home address, their vehicles, or family members.  

Many executives will need to lock down their social profiles and remove identifying information that could result in security risks. Should a former employee visit the home of an executive post-termination, it could result in home invasion, vandalism, or personal injury. Effectively managing the complexities of a remote mass layoff involves planning for the risk of home invasion along with the possibility that some staff may track your movements across social media through friends and family.

Plan, Predict, and Respond Alongside AFIMAC Global

Mass layoffs, either conducted in-person or remotely, call for extensive planning to address every possible security risk before they occur. AFIMAC as a security company is comprised of professionals with extensive law enforcement and military experience, capable of planning for and addressing any risk that results from a high-risk security termination. We take a look at every possible outcome post-layoff, capable of monitoring and assessing people of interest who may partake in violence after they have been terminated.

Make efforts to protect yourself and your business when facing a remote mass layoff. Lean on AFIMAC to conduct pre-layoff planning, while assessing risks that stem from your social media presence, and your home. AFIMAC maintains extensive intelligence that can monitor problematic employees and dispatch executive protection agents in the event remote employees become real-life security risks.

AFIMAC is proud to serve a variety of different industries across North America, helping secure workplaces and protect both staff and executive teams. Use information to your advantage when planning for a termination and leverage endless security resources to help you avoid risks entirely.

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