Forest Service workers kidnapped at gunpoint highlight the extreme-end risks of remote work. Employers are failing their duty of care.
FO Take · Score 20
The romanticisation of 'remote' and 'field' work blinds organisations to inherent dangers. These Forest Service employees, held at gunpoint, expose the scandalous lack of foresight in duty-of-care protocols. It’s not about 'if' but 'when' these incidents occur. Is employee safety merely a tick-box exercise, or a corporate afterthought?
The strongest counter
While tragic, this is an isolated incident. Remote work’s benefits far outweigh these rare, extreme risks. Comprehensive risk assessments and robust emergency plans are already standard practice for most field-based roles.
