World of HR: Employers grapple with a dangerous war in the Middle East

The Middle East is home to over 500million people, and industries from tech to oil. Since the US-Israeli strikes on Iran began on Feb. 28, some employers and governments have sought to ensure the safety of their employees in the region, which includes 17 countries.

The UAE labor minister asked private employers to allow remote work through Mar. 3. Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, is largely operating as “business as usual,” a recruiting consultant in the country told AGBI on Mar. 2. “We’re all talking about the situation, but going on as normal.”

Still, many employers headquartered outside the region have asked their Middle East-based workers to stay home until the conflict is resolved.

“We have asked all employees to work remotely until further notice as a precautionary measure,” a spokesperson for China-based food delivery service Meituan, told South China Morning Post. The company has workers in the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bahrain, and is just one of the many tech companies telling workers to stay home.

US-based Wynn Resorts is allowing its employees to work from a different country “if their home embassy has advised them to leave the country,” iGaming Business reported. The company also offered “additional housing options” to its workers in the region if they do not feel secure in their current location.

While some companies are looking for ways to evacuate workers from the region, others, like Japan-based engineering company JGC Holdings Corp., are worried about keeping workers safe where they are.

“We have ensured the safety of our workers, and they don’t need to immediately leave those countries,” a spokesperson for JGC told Japanese news outlet Asahi Shimbun, adding that it has encouraged workers to re-read the company’s evacuation plans for these types of scenarios.

Healthcare companies and drug manufacturers in the region, including Germany-based Boehringer Ingelheim, are under particular stress, as they try to keep both employees and patients safe, according to Fierce Pharma.