Balancing Preparation and Panic, HR’s Role When Crisis Hits

Introduction

The extraordinary weather events that struck the UAE in March & April 2024, and the leadership responses that followed, reminded every business owner in this country of something that had always been true but rarely tested: being an employer comes with a legal and ethical duty of care, even when the world outside your office window looks nothing like normal.

 

What happened in the weeks that followed was instructive. Some businesses handled it with confidence and clarity, communicating quickly, making sensible decisions, and reinforcing trust with their people. Others were caught without a plan, improvising under pressure, and in some cases, found themselves on the wrong side of MOHRE guidance.

 

This blog is about making sure you are in the first camp.

The Legal Reality of Employer Duty of Care

Under UAE Labour Law, employers are obligated to provide a safe working environment. This obligation does not disappear when the risk comes from outside the workplace. During extreme weather events, public health crises, or other operational disruptions, MOHRE has consistently taken the position that employers have an active responsibility to protect their employees’ safety, and those that fail to act appropriately can face legal consequences.

In 2024, a number of UAE companies were publicly criticised, and some investigated, for requiring employees to travel to work during conditions that made doing so genuinely dangerous. The lesson was stark: having no crisis policy is not a neutral position.

A Framework for HR in a Crisis

When something unexpected happens, whether it’s extreme weather, a public health emergency, regional geopolitical instability, or a serious workplace incident, HR’s role is to move the organisation through four phases:

1. Communicate
   The first obligation is clarity. Employees need to know what the business expects of them, what support is available, and how decisions will be made. Silence during a crisis is not neutral, it creates anxiety and erodes trust. A brief, honest communication from leadership, sent promptly, is almost always better than a considered statement issued 24 hours later.

 

2. Protect
   Assess whether requiring attendance poses a safety risk, and err on the side of caution. Document the decisions you make and the reasoning behind them. If you are directing people to work from home, ensure they have what they need to do so. If attendance is genuinely required, communicate why clearly and make explicit provision for transport safety, noting that during such times the commute to and from work being safe is the responsibility of the employer.

 

3. Comply
   Check the relevant MOHRE guidance in real time. Keep records of communications sent to staff. Ensure any adjustments to working arrangements are documented rather than managed informally. The cost of poor documentation only becomes visible when you’re in a dispute.

 

4. Learn
   After every significant disruption, review what worked and what didn’t. Update your crisis communication templates. Ensure your remote working policy is fit for purpose. Identify the gaps your crisis exposed, and close them before the next one.

What Every Business Needs Before the Next Crisis

• A crisis communication template that can be sent to all staff within minutes of a triggering event
• A remote working policy that is properly documented and legally sound under UAE law
• A named point of contact for employee safety queries during incidents
• A documented decision log from any crisis period

 

None of these require significant investment. All of them require a decision to be prepared. If you don’t have these in place, this is a good week to build them.