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On July 7th, the day of the first transit bombings in London, I went downstairs at lunch time and was surprised to see the area around the elevators in the lobby teaming with police and firefighters...

July 2005

Dear Office-Politics,

On July 7th, the day of the first transit bombings in London, I went downstairs at lunch time and was surprised to see the area around the elevators in the lobby teaming with police and firefighters.  There was a stretcher being pushed onto an elevator.  When I got back to my desk there was an email from HR with the heading 'possible evacuation'.  The email explained that a suspicious package had been delivered to a government office on a floor below ours and that the matter was being taken very seriously.  Police had been called in to investigate and we should be prepared to evacuate at short notice.

People around me didn't get the email and I forwarded it to our entire department.  Soon after, another email was sent that had the heading 'alert'.  The likelihood of an evacuation was increased.  I forwarded this email as well.  Since it was lunchtime, some colleagues including myself decided to go down to the main floor and wait until the emergency was over to return to our desks.

When we got downstairs we were able to talk to some firefighters who assured us that the package had now been removed and we were safe to go back upstairs.

When I got back to my desk there was another email giving the all clear.  I called HR and explained that there must have been a glitch in the email because only a few people in our department got the email and of those I was the only one who was actually in the office at the time.  I was told that it is our firm's policy and will continue to be our firm's policy that in the event of a 'possible emergency' only a select group will be alerted.  I received the email because I work closely with top executives.  The rationale was that people might panic and decide to leave.

I feel that every person has the right to be informed when a dangerous situation exists.  Contrary to the fear that everyone would decide to panic and leave their work, only a few people opted to be cautious and they returned as soon as the all clear was announced.  The message that I received came directly from the building and was directed towards the tenants.  Is it ethical for the company to withhold a warning that could save someone's life?

Canary-in-the-Coal-Mine

Dear Canary-in-the-Coal-Mine,

I understand your employer's desire to want to avoid panic but it seems overly paternalistic and unwise in the Post 9/11 world.

If I worked in the company, I'd want to be immediately informed of all "possible emergencies" and decide for myself what to do. While the threat for a "possible emergency" may be low, what's the big deal if a few employees want to be extra careful and step outside for 15 minutes to soothe their nerves? More significantly, the company policy in place is likely to generate more (not less) panic in a situation of a sudden and actual evacuation. If you give employees a 'heads up' of a possible evacuation, it seems to me they would take the news of an actual evacuation more calmly as they have had time to emotionally and physically process and prepare for the possibility.

From a business and legal standpoint, an Employer has an obligation to take reasonable steps to protect the health and safety of its employees and visitors. I believe a policy that gives the employees the advance notice of a "possible emergency" better protects the health and safety of the employees.

Bottom line: Tell your employer to update its policy. Thanks for writing to Office-Politics.

Arnie Herz

Arnie Herz, Esq.
Author, LegalSanity
Attorney at Law

Feedback from Canary-in-the-Coal-Mine

Thank you! Your response is terrific. It does put some pressure on me to address the situation with HR but I think it's a very important cause.