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Businesses have received a flurry of last-minute annual leave requests since the UK riots began, as employees fear getting caught up in the violence.
Staff have said they fear for their safety; have concerns about their cars being damaged and worry about accessing public transport amidst the violent disorder.
HR advisors at software company, BrightHR, have also seen a significant increase in questions from employers about how to keep their staff safe.
It comes as Britain is bracing itself for another night of anti-immigration demos in 100 locations across the UK.
Leaked messages from what appear to be far-Right Telegram channels show those involved threatening the lives of anti-racism campaigners, using sick slurs and exchanging tips on how to ‘hood up’.
Businesses in areas where demonstrations are planned, including an immigration law firm, pubs, shops and hairdressers, have all boarded up, as fearful communities brace themselves for the night ahead.
Now, new data from BrightHR suggests there has been a 121% increase in downloads of its employee safety handbook, as well as a 118% increase in its evacuation record.
Anti-migration protesters are seen during riots outside of the Holiday Inn Express in Manvers on Sunday
Businesses in Birmingham have boarded themselves up tonight ahead of planned far-right demos
HR advisors have urged employees to consider adjusting working hours and expanding their flexible working options so that staff are not caught up in rioting hotspots when trying to get to or from work.
Securing entry points to businesses and rescheduling non-essential work to a later date has also been advised.
Lucy Cobb, Advice Operations Manager at BrightHR, said: ‘It’s clear from the questions we are receiving, as well as the increase in downloads of key health & safety documents from our platform, that employers are increasingly concerned about the impact of the riots in the UK on the safety and wellbeing of their staff.
‘With further unrest expected in towns and cities this week, business owners are looking for expert guidance on how they can protect their workforce from harm and maintain a productive operation.
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‘It seems they are also putting emergency procedures in place to deal with potential attacks on their own businesses.’
Serious violence and rioting by far-right protesters in side streets in Rotherham on Sunday
Protesters tried to cram into a Holiday Inn Express hotel through a damaged fire exit in Rotherham last weekend
A car was vandalised as far-right activists held a demonstration in Middlesbrough last weekend
Police officers stand near the broken windows of the hotel in Rotherham during an anti-immigration protest
Britain has been shaken by the violent unrest over the past week, as police clashed with crowds in cities and towns from Northern Ireland to the south coast of England.
Tensions were fuelled by misinformation online that the suspect in the Southport knife attack that killed three girls, was a Muslim asylum seeker who arrived by boat, which boiled over onto the streets.
Angry far-right mobs have looted shops, set fire to hotels housing migrants and attacked police officers in some of the worse disorder seen in over a decade.
Hundreds of people have been arrested so far, with some already appearing in court over the series of charges.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer — who has described the riots as ‘far-right thuggery’ — called an emergency COBRA meeting yesterday to try to end the chaos.
Tonight, gatherings are anticipated in 41 of the 43 police force areas in England and Wales. A police source said: ‘Today is probably going to be the busiest day of the week, into the evening.’
Met Deputy Assistant Commissioner Andy Valentine today urged parents to watch their children and monitor their movements over the coming days, saying that ‘no one wants to be caught up in potentially violent and criminal behaviour’.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Stephen Parkinson has said one case of alleged terrorism is ‘actively under consideration’ following the mayhem of recent days while the King is reported to have asked aides for frequent updates.
