Wildfires Underscore Urgent Need for Climate Contingency Plans for Employees

Wildfires Underscore Urgent Need for Climate Contingency Plans for Employees
June 23, 2023 6 mins

Wildfires Underscore Urgent Need for Climate Contingency Plans for Employees

Wildfires Underscore Urgent Need for Climate Contingency Plans for Employees Hero Image

Working together across an organization to build a contingency plan for dangerous climate events is crucial to ensuring everyone is protected.

Key Takeaways
  1. Volatile climate events are having negative health and wellbeing impacts on employees around the world, particularly the most vulnerable.
  2. Organizations need comprehensive workforce resilience plans that include potential climate-sensitive health impacts and emergency preparedness.
  3. Staying up to date on changing conditions and recommendations is vital to the success of healthy and resilient organizations and employees.

Catastrophic climate events not only pose a risk to our environment, but also significantly affect human health and wellbeing. There is no part of the world that is untouched by the impacts of climate change, and everyone is susceptible to the damaging consequences this reality can have on mental health and wellbeing. Indeed, the World Health Organization has stated that climate change is the single biggest health threat facing humanity.

Recent wildfires and their repercussions across Canada and the United States highlight the detrimental health risks posed by weather and climate-driven events and bringing them to the forefront of workplace discussions. These include:

  • Exacerbation of pre-existing health conditions (e.g., asthma and cardiovascular disease)
  • Increased risk to vulnerable populations such as pregnant women, people over 65, or young children
  • Heatstroke and lung health problems
  • Increased pressure on employees with caring responsibilities
  • Mental health issues
  • Loss of productivity and difficulties in accessing the workplace and public infrastructure
  • Burnout and absenteeism due to increased stress levels
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There’s another consideration companies should think about. Employees may have dependents significantly at risk from air pollution. They will likely experience extra stress worrying about their health and safety.

Stephanie DeLorm
Senior Vice President, Health Solutions for Multinationals, Aon

Addressing Employee Health Risks

The direct impact of wildfire smoke is a concern in many parts of the world through the summer months, and increasingly earlier as fires expand in scope and intensity and wildfire season lasts longer. Even if there are no wildfires in the immediate area, smoke can travel hundreds of miles. When it comes to air pollution, businesses that have installed air filtration systems (especially in light of the pandemic), should consider giving employees the option to work in their safe office environment. That said, employers should also recognize that extra care and attention should be given to at-risk groups, including pregnant women or individuals with asthma, who may require additional provisions such as N95 masks or being allowed to work from home where possible to avoid a commute in hazardous conditions.

If employees work outdoors, extreme heat, air pollution and other health hazards from events such as wildfires, floods, and typhoons are much riskier than commuting to an indoor workplace. Employers should consider providing staff with safe work-from-home options whenever possible, flexible working hours, suitable clothing for hot weather and safety equipment such as air filtration masks. Paid leave is another option in extreme conditions or if safety equipment cannot be procured in time. A recent example of such provision is in Spain, where the government has banned outdoor work during periods of extreme heat.

Incorporating Climate Change Health Impacts into Workforce Resilience Plans

As weather and climate catastrophes intensify and become more frequent, employers should act now to build health impacts into their workforce resilience plans. Consider taking the following actions:

  • Identify which employees are most exposed to climate change-related risks based on their location and which populations are at higher risk. To do this, location analytics and job assessments play a role. Understand which regions are more likely to face more severe consequences of climate events and the employees located there to inform rigorous protections. Location analytics can help synchronize emergency information and employee locations to provide the best response management and emergency care to safeguard a business and its employees in case of disasters such as hurricanes and floods. Such measures allow organizations to be more nimble when assessing hurricane threats, ensuring the safety of their employees before, during and after landfall.
  • Identify roles and individuals whose jobs can be performed remotely if necessary. This information allows employers to redeploy resources so affected employees can work from safer locations and still be productive.
  • Examine whether actions are in place to compensate for and mitigate vulnerabilities from sensitive employee groups, including pregnant women, children, the elderly, disadvantaged communities, and those with underlying health conditions. There needs to be a particular focus on vulnerable populations and healthcare access.
  • Assess whether current health and safety policies include wording around what to do in different climate-related events. For example, does the organization offer benefits that help employees in at-risk areas of air pollution to acquire home air filtration systems?
  • Provide upskilling and retraining support for populations heavily impacted by climate change who need to adapt to new conditions in the event of forced displacement. Also consider revising working hours, if possible, to avoid hazardous conditions and temperatures.
  • Ensure contingency and emergency preparedness programs are in place and simulations are conducted regularly to better prepare for climate change-driven events.
  • Incorporate the health risks related to climate change into workplace risk assessments.

$4B

The direct damage costs to health from climate change are estimated to be $2 billion-$4 billion per year by 2030.

Source: WHO Climate change and health

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The bottom line is employers should lead with an approach that puts the health, safety and wellbeing of their employees and their families at its center.

Madeleine Catzaras
ESG People Solutions, Health Solutions, Europe, the Middle East and Africa

The health impacts of climate change will be determined by the vulnerability and resilience of populations, and the scale of measures for adaptation. Businesses can play a key role in adaptation and resilience building, and many actions can help to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change. (This might look like electrifying fleets or regreening communities.) Aon’s expertise across risk capital and human capital helps clients prepare, protect against, and mitigate the worst impacts of climate on their people and business. To learn more about our climate capabilities, please visit our climate change and sustainability page.

Key Contact
Madeleine Catzaras
ESG people solutions leader
[email protected]

General Disclaimer

The information contained herein and the statements expressed are of a general nature and are not intended to address the circumstances of any particular individual or entity. Although we endeavor to provide accurate and timely information and use sources we consider reliable, there can be no guarantee that such information is accurate as of the date it is received or that it will continue to be accurate in the future. No one should act on such information without appropriate professional advice after a thorough examination of the particular situation.

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29%

Employees with employer-sponsored health insurance in the U.S. who are considered underinsured, primarily due to costs.

Source: The Commonwealth Fund

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