Your Assignees Are Reading Government Warnings. Do You Have A Plan?

Governments in more than thirty countries now ask households to prepare for emergencies, and employers should be ready to reach and reassure people abroad.

Refrigeration systems in supermarkets across several European countries were remotely tampered with overnight on 2 November in apparent cyber attacks, and stores discarded chilled and frozen food. In recent weeks, governments in more than thirty countries have urged households to prepare for emergencies, and UK ministers have cited cyber attacks among the threats. The two are not linked, but assignees have seen both and may be wondering what their employer would do.

Nothing here suggests panic is warranted. Governments describe this as ordinary preparedness, and the UK has said its campaign does not signal that war is imminent. But the advice reaches assignees directly, in a country that is new to them, and employers who say nothing leave the gap to social media.

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The household preparation window advised by several governments, including France, the UK, Canada, Japan, Mexico and the Netherlands
Newsweek, 2026

Advice Differs By Host Country

An assignee in Stockholm and one in Paris may receive very different guidance, in a language they are still learning. The common kit is the same: water, food that needs no cooking, medicines, batteries, a torch and a radio.

  • Sweden and Norway advise about a week of supplies, and Germany up to ten days.
  • The UK also advises keeping cash, in case cards and cash machines fail.
  • A newcomer in temporary housing may have no kit at all, and their household goods may still be on the way.
  • Stores that discard chilled stock must restock, a reminder that local supply can be interrupted without warning.

Build A Plan To Stay In Contact

The test is simple: if mobile data and email failed tomorrow, how would you reach a family abroad? The same question applies to relocation partners, who often hold the most current addresses.

  • Name one owner for assignee welfare in a crisis, since duty of care often sits across security, HR and mobility.
  • Keep a current list of where every assignee, family member and business traveller is, including temporary addresses.
  • Agree two ways to reach each person beyond email, such as a voice call and a text message.
  • Send a short, plain note with the host country’s official guidance, translated where needed, instead of leaving people to find it alone.
  • Ask each relocation partner for their own contact plan, and test it once a year with a brief check in.

Preparedness is not alarmist. It is what a responsible employer does when the people it sent abroad are reading the same warnings it is. A short, calm message now costs far less than silence later.

Pinewood keeps one named contact with every family and holds current addresses throughout the move, so there is always someone who knows where your people are and how to reach them. Get in touch to check your assignee contact plan.