Skip to main content
Marsh logo

Article

Protecting your people and properties during civil unrest

During time of civil unrest, senior leaders may need to proactively make decisions to help protect business from potential violent acts.

11/05/2024

Civil unrest of any sort can lead to or contribute to violent acts. It poses a substantial risk to communities and businesses, potentially resulting in injuries, deaths, theft, damage or destruction of properties, and business interruption. During times of an increased risk of civil unrest, senior leaders may need to proactively make decisions to help protect their people and their properties from potential violent acts.

Whether triggered by economic issues, political events, social injustice mobilizations, or other factors, civil unrest's human and financial repercussions underscore the importance of organizations like yours taking preemptive action to protect their people and assets.

Take a proactive approach

Due to the potential impacts of civil unrest events on your people and properties, it is critical to have plans and procedures in place that allow you to act rapidly in case of an incident near or within your properties.

In the first instance, consider establishing an internal working group or task force of key corporate or business functions whose focus is on planning for civil unrest events. 

Further, review and update your crisis management, crisis communications, and business continuity plans. Carry out tabletop exercises at least annually to identify any areas that may require improvement and ensure that all your key personnel understand their roles. You also should consider any digital, network, or other changes that may be required to enable your employees to work remotely or physical alterations to enhance the security of your buildings.

Finally, develop a communications protocol for all response team members to follow before, during, and after an event that may impact one of your locations or your people. This will help improve communications with each other, employees, customers, guests, security, law enforcement, corporate headquarters, and other stakeholders.

Review your insurance coverage

It is important to understand how your insurance policies may respond in case your properties are impacted by civil unrest and identify any potential gaps in coverage.

  • Traditional property insurance policies generally require physical loss or damage to trigger coverage. Many policies in the US are written on an all-risk basis, meaning they cover direct losses — unless these result from excluded events. Exclusions may include strikes, riots, and civil commotion. Policies based on named perils require a review of covered risks to determine whether they may respond. 
  • Political violence insurance can cover war, civil war, rebellion, insurrection, coup d’état, and other civil disturbances.
  • Property terrorism insurance can provide coverage for physical damage and business interruption resulting from acts that are motivated by politics, religion, or ideology.

Both political violence and property terrorism coverage may include coverage for strikes, riots, and civil commotion.

Even if your properties are not damaged, business operations may be disrupted, either due to the preemptive closure of certain locations or because shipments and deliveries are rerouted or delayed. Note that many property policies require physical loss or damage for business interruption or other time element coverage to be triggered. This also applies to relevant time element extensions, including civil authority actions.

Having insurance policies that effectively respond to potential risks is critical. Work with your risk advisors to: 

  • Identify potential risks based on the location of critical assets, which can help you determine the most suitable type of coverage.
  • Understand the terms, conditions, and limitations of your insurance policies and how these may respond to various events.
  • Quantify the potential losses of multiple scenarios and ensure that the limits purchased provide sufficient coverage.

Put people first during an event

If a quick-developing and/or unpredictable civil unrest event spills onto your properties, your primary concern should be protecting your employees, customers, vendors, and others from potential harm. Risks can include being confronted by protestors or law enforcement engaged in crowd control or being unable to leave the workplace for extended periods due to safety concerns. 

If a protest or similar event is planned near your properties, carefully monitor communications and instructions from local law enforcement or government authorities and consider temporarily closing the affected locations and posting security personnel. 

It is also prudent to:

  • Advise employees who can work remotely to do so.
  • Consider altering shift schedules if possible.
  • Have plans and resources available to support on-site employees evacuating or taking shelter, if any of these become necessary. 

Civil unrest also may increase the risk of tensions surfacing in the workplace and affect employees' morale, mental health, and well-being. Communicate expectations and guidance for behavior within the workplace. Employee assistance programs can benefit workers impacted by civil unrest or related tensions; if you offer these services, communicate their availability and how they can be accessed. 

Safeguard your properties throughout

Civil unrest can lead to significant financial losses and damage or destruction of your properties. 

If civil unrest seems imminent, essential actions to take to protect your properties include:

  • Monitor information — including local law enforcement and government authority alerts, social media, and news channels — about protests, demonstrations, rallies, or other large gatherings and orders and directions related to curfews and closures.
  • Take protective measures to safeguard your properties, including installing impact-resistant window films or boarding below-grade and grade-level windows and doors.
  • Ensure all your emergency response or action plans are current, including contact information for emergency response agencies.
  • Enhance site security by using barriers, surveillance, and lighting to deter, detect, and delay illegal access to your property.

Civil unrest can lead to heightened risks for organizations like yours. While business leaders may not be able to prevent such unrest, being prepared in advance and able to take immediate action can help you better respond during a crisis and potentially reduce risks to your people, property, operations, and finances.  

Insight

A guide to protecting your properties from civil unrest

Get a deeper understanding of actions that should be considered to protect your properties.

Download now

Related insights

People raising fist with unfocused background in a pacifist protest against racism demanding justice

Article

Understanding property and business interruption coverage during times of unrest

06/13/2025
Placeholder Image

Article

Political violence and terrorism: Building effective insurance programs

05/19/2025
Stock market hologram, blue and violet forex hud with numbers and lines dynamics. Concept of diagrams, online trading and finance. 3D rendering illustration

Article

Captive insurers continue expanding coverage in property, casualty, and beyond

06/26/2024
Placeholder Image

Podcast

Risk in Context Podcast: Developing a pathway to managing natural catastrophe risks

05/14/2024