Despite employing workers in high-risk locations around the world, many multinational companies have not adopted a formal policy to evacuate employees in cases of security threats or health-related issues, according to a new survey by Watson Wyatt Worldwide, a human capital consulting firm.

The survey, a web-based poll of 37 multinationals representing more than 11 million employees around the world, found that nearly half of respondents (43 percent) have evacuated workers during the past two years. Still, most are committed to maintaining a presence in high-risk areas.

Many companies provide additional financial incentives and insurance coverage to compensate workers in high-risk areas. Slightly more than half of the respondents either provide or plan to provide a financial incentive for employees in high-risk areas, while four of ten either provide or plan to provide employees with supplemental insurance to reimburse them for any losses not covered by private insurance.

According to the survey, 70 percent of respondents have employees in locations they consider to be dangerous, with Asia and the Middle East having the highest degree of risk exposure. However, only 40 percent have adopted a formal evacuation policy.

More than 80 percent of the respondents have no plans to reduce the number of employees working in affected areas in the long term. But some businesses may rely more heavily on business trips as opposed to permanent residence in affected regions, at least in the short term.