To Elevate Workplace Safety, Unite HR and Security Against Threats

Organizations can no longer afford to limit their definitions of workplace security to protecting physical infrastructure and staff with traditional security measures. Today’s effective safety strategy is multi-dimensional, accounting for highly elevated threat environments and the need for mental health supports while making the HR and security partnership a core business priority.

Companies that optimize the HR and security partnership not only reduce risk, they build employee trust, protect their reputation, maintain business continuity, and are the best prepared for an increasingly hostile world. That was the central message of a SHRM26 session in Orlando led by Seth Krummrich, a former Green Beret and U.S. Army Special Operations colonel who currently heads up client risk management at Global Guardian, an international security consulting firm.

 “HR has the heaviest lift after a crisis,” Krummrich said. “HR is so vital when it comes to corporate security in this dynamic world we live in now because you're doing it all — accountability, medical benefits, communications… and insurance integration.”

Despite the clear need for HR to collaborate with security, it may actually be the most underutilized organizational intelligence asset, according to a SHRM People + Strategy podcast episode. To fix this, HR leaders should start with redefining security and a thorough crisis response assessment, followed by developing employee-centered crisis response plans that help them feel safe and demonstrate visible preparedness.

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Increasing Global and Domestic Security Risk

There are currently 59 active conflicts around the world, the highest level since World War II, according to the Global Peace Index. This record level of geopolitical instability is creating expanded zones of conflict and risk factors that reverberate across borders.

“If it happens on the other side of the world, it will affect you,” Krummrich said. Targeted attacks on American businesses are no longer rare events, and employees bring those concerns to the workplace.

Cybercrime, in particular, has increased by 33% with reported losses exceeding $16 billion, according to the FBI. Manufacturing, healthcare, financial, and insurance companies are high-risk industries, targeted by attackers who use ransomware to halt production, employ sophisticated data theft breaches, and generate cyber-physical attacks that simultaneously compromise both digital and physical infrastructure.

eLearning: Active Shooter Basic Awareness

Rising Incivility

In the U.S., Krummrich noted a new normalization of violence as a way to settle grievances and rising mistrust in the mainstream media as major contributors to increased societal polarization. Individuals who perceive that they have been wronged can now use AI tools to figure out what they need to know to settle the score, from business floor plans to home addresses.

“As a Green Beret with years and years of combat experience in some of the toughest places on the planet, I am concerned with how people see each other in the United States, the polarization,” Krummrich said.

SHRM’s research supports Krummrich’s observations. According to the 2026 Q2 Civility Index, incivility is at its highest recorded levels. Over half of U.S. workers agree that incivility is normal in American workplaces today.

How To Guide: How To Promote Civility in the Workplace

Redefining Security as a Talent Management Strategy

A hostile termination, an insider threat, or an active shooter event are not purely security problems; they are people problems, and people are HR’s domain. Within that domain, a comprehensive safety and security strategy needs to ensure seamless collaboration between HR and security. It should encompass multiple dimensions across the talent management spectrum:

• Personal physical security within offices, facilities, and during travel.
• Cybersecurity and the protection of personal and organizational data.
• Travel risk for employees in unfamiliar or high-risk locations.
• Employee support systems that hold up during crisis situations.
• Employee mental health support before, during, and after a security threat.

Krummrich emphasized the importance of supporting long-term mental health as a core component of the strategy. “Mental health is huge. I can tell you personally, I'm a giant advocate of it after 28 years as a Special Forces colonel,” he said. “I will stand and deliver and advocate for mental health as much as you can possibly push out.”

How-To Guide: How To Create a Mental Health Crisis Response Plan

Key Actions for HR Professionals

A well-managed crisis depends on clear roles, clear communication, and clear plans that are exercised regularly, ideally every quarter. Employees want to know that they are safe, and that leadership is being honest and transparent.

A Crisis Response Assessment can identify the gaps in your process that need fixing. Use it to do a group-based tabletop exercise and rate the following areas:

• Crisis monitoring and escalation.
• Decision-making and coordination.
• Communication and stakeholder management.
• Logistical supplies and sustainment.
• Response and operational support.
• Employee support and duty of care.

Crisis Management Best Practices

Krummrich’s number one piece of advice for HR is to read the fine print on your insurance and duty of care policies and confirm adequate crisis response capabilities, including on-the-ground support in conflict areas or high-risk zones. His additional guidance included:

• Define HR and security “swim lanes." Make sure each team understands its specific responsibilities before, during, and after a crisis.
• Build or strengthen crisis management teams. Prioritize newly high-risk areas, such as data centers and international operations.
• Establish mass notification protocols. Create clear accountability mechanisms, such as designated communication slack channels, and ensure every employee knows how they work.
• Strengthen cybersecurity practices. Reinforce virtual private network (VPN) use and regular cyber security training, such as simulated phishing emails.
• Support long-term mental health. Lead recovery efforts with sustained resources, benefits coordination, and ongoing communication.
• Address insider threats. Build protocols for high-risk terminations, with HR and security coordinating on de-escalation and staff protection.

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Today’s volatile environment requires that HR and security join forces to protect people, places, and business operations. By proactively redefining security as a talent management strategy and implementing crisis response best practices, companies are well prepared to face emerging threats and HR becomes a strategic leader in shaping a resilient organization