Human capital leaders in Europe are moving in multiple ways to help employees who remain in Ukraine or have been displaced. Three considerations are top of mind: a second wave of employees now requesting help to leave Ukraine as the fighting intensifies; requests from employees in Russia who want to leave even as most companies are prioritizing employees in direct danger; and a growing reluctance to directly extract staff from some parts of Ukraine due to aerial bombardment and on-the-ground fighting.

This report summarizes the learnings and insights for what’s ahead from over 100 members of The Conference Board during extraordinary sessions with eight Europe-based Human Capital Councils over the past week, including EMEA heads of human resources, global rewards, talent strategies, and diversity, equity & inclusion. In a separate report, we detail the measures HR leaders are taking to help employees in Russia or Russian employees outside Russia. 

Assistance to workers in Ukraine

Members are taking the following measures:

• Providing emergency shelter to evacuated workers and their families. As companies continue to attempt to evacuate workers via their own or local security agencies or local police forces, they are asking local travel agencies to identify local hotels with large basements, then arranging for staff to take shelter there when needed.
• Creating designated hubs for evacuation. One company is evacuating staff and family to hubs in Poland, Moldova, and Hungary, depending on their location.
• Extending assistance. For one company, this has entailed organizing buses for staff, their families and friends, and even former employees.
• Organizing transportation for emergency supplies. This is becoming increasingly difficult with the lack of safe corridors. Some companies are switching to focus on financial help.
• Evacuating expatriates. Companies have moved rapidly from a “wait and see” approach to ordering expatriates in Ukraine and surrounding countries such as Belarus, Latvia, and Estonia to leave before travel becomes too difficult.
• Advancing payments to all staff in Ukraine and neighboring countries. Companies know the conflict might spread. Staff might need extra reserves of cash for emergency evacuation, or they might want to take the preemptive step of relocating their families temporarily. Because male employees are not allowed to leave Ukraine, payments are being made to their spouses whenever possible.
• Supporting contingent workers. Some companies are extending financial help to their contingent workers both in Ukraine and Russia. They are aware they may be unable to work due to the danger or because of their association with Ukraine or Western corporations. One company has opted to advance weekly payments to contract workers to support them and their families.
• Providing temporary life insurance and medical insurance. Companies are checking into terms to ensure that coverage still applies in the event of war. If not, they are providing new or extended coverage for a limited time. In most cases, coverage is extended to those who might be injured or even killed as civilians. Workers who choose (or are required) to enlist are unlikely to qualify for coverage. Companies are also ensuring temporary coverage for displaced staff.

Support for displaced workers from Ukraine

• Temporary accommodation. As the number of displaced staff increases, there is immediate need to organize temporary safe accommodation. In many cases, staff in receiving countries are offering help and accommodation, but one company has offered staff the use of the corporate travel agency to secure hotels or rental accommodation, and the company pays directly.
• Internal transfers. Where possible, displaced Ukraine workers are transferred to other posts as soon as work visas and travel arrangements can be organized. Some staff are still able to work virtually. In some cases, jobs are being relocated or reorganized to create vacancies for Ukraine staff. Another option involves temporary international assignments, where there are existing processes and allowances already in place.
• Retention schemes. Some displaced workers who have left Ukraine cannot easily be relocated; for example, where the company’s manufacturing or processing plants have been closed. For the time being, these workers are being paid—often under “garden leave” arrangements. As many are in high demand in Eastern Europe, there is also a practical need to retain skilled workers.
• Financial assistance. Some companies are paying Ukraine staff three months advance salaries. Another is offering cash support to employees around the world with dependents in Ukraine to aid with visas and transport.
• Helping staff to assist colleagues. Recognizing the efforts staff in countries like Poland, Hungary, and Romania are making to help their Ukraine colleagues, some companies have offered an extension of paid and unpaid leave. One company has extended its volunteer scheme, which offers five fully paid volunteer days a year, to Eastern European staff. An international bank has provided vacant accommodation in some branch premises and is training branch staff to respond to long queues of anxious or distressed customers and organize temporary accommodation for refugees where possible.

What’s Next? 

Members conveyed a discernible shift from immediate crisis management to medium-term considerations, and heightened concern about the impact the war is having on employee psychological well-being. Companies are aware that cultural values and colleague relationships are under great strain, especially between Eastern European and Russian employees as emotions build. There is considerable pressure on leaders to make hasty decisions about whether to suspend or close operations in Ukraine and Russia—however, members cautioned against making emotive or popular decisions that might have unintended consequences in such a volatile and unpredictable situation. These leaders also stressed the need to think more broadly, considering the company’s purpose and values and the interests of all the business’ stakeholders, especially as some of these may be conflicting. Health care and food manufacturers, for example, must balance their commitment to their customers to provide medicine or food with their responsibilities to their employees, investors, and other stakeholders.