Traveling for business to a foreign country has its assumed risks. Typical details like language barriers and exchange rates can be daunting enough, but businesses should be mindful of the potential effects of a protest or demonstration near their employees’ hotels or destinations.
It is easy to imagine attending a conference in another country where a protest is occurring right in front of your conference center. While many are peaceful, some can become violent and there may be legal issues to consider as well. Regardless of whether it is related to your visit, the experience can be confusing and unnerving.
Businesses must consider how to prevent their employees from getting stuck in the wrong place at the wrong time; in addition to the disorientation, there can be severe repercussions for being even seemingly involved in a foreign demonstration. Laws and protocols about protests vary from country to country, and guilt—even by association—can have disastrous consequences.
To ensure your employees know how to successfully circumvent a demonstration, check out the infographic below by On Call International, which gives advice on how visitors should conduct themselves and stay safe in the event of a protest—particularly a violent one.