THE SITUATION
Thousands of people have been impacted by catastrophic flooding across the Midwest, in California and by deadly tornadoes in Alabama and Georgia. As these survivors grapple with the often overwhelming and immediate burdens that follow such tragic events, one thing is certain – work is not the top priority. Instead, they’ll need to identify and secure temporary housing, prepare and submit insurance claims and FEMA applications and manage contractors to make repairs. When workers are not well prepared ahead of disasters, their recoveries are often delayed and unpredictable, leading to additional stress and trauma, and potentially prolonged absences from work. For many businesses, this also takes a toll – one that affects the bottom line.
Employees are your most important asset. But many businesses’ continuity planning doesn’t extend far enough to truly protect its workforce when a disaster also strikes at home.
THE REALITY
In the aftermath of disaster, business continuity plans are essential to organizational survival. Roughly 40% of small businesses are forced to close permanently following a disaster, and 75% of organizations without a business continuity plan will fail within 3 years.
Disasters won’t only impact your employees while they are at work. Business continuity plans must take this reality in to account. Equipping your employees with the right knowledge and resources will enable them to quickly rebuild their homes and lives and return to work focused and productive and with fewer residual effects. Planning ahead means peace of mind for you and your employees, so your business can bounce back quickly.
SBP has trained more than 500 organizations in recent years. We’ve met many businesses who have felt the effects of their workforce experiencing prolonged recovery. This testimonial was shared with our team after one of these trainings.
A well regarded and experienced employee’s home was destroyed by Hurricane Harvey. Though he returned to work a week later, the devastation of the loss and the stress of his recovery prevented his full focus from being on the job. As a result he missed a key safety protocol, a potentially fatal mistake that cost the company roughly $9 million.
This example shows that there are serious consequences that can impact your business. Make sure employees are prepared and protected, both at work and at home.
NEXT STEPS
Here’s how SBP’s resources can help you protect your employees with comprehensive disaster planning:
Before Disaster
Every employee should have a family emergency plan, important documents protected, and the right insurance – especially for flooding – in case of disaster. SBP’s resources can help your people get prepared. Learn how toprotect against flood risk and create a plan. Contact our training team to learn more about providing SBP resilience training directly for your employees.
After Disaster
After disaster, having the right information helps impacted employees make smart decisions in a stressful time. SBP tools help survivors avoid contractor fraud and navigate assistance programs and for a faster recovery, and our training team provides recovery navigation workshops for survivors after disaster.
On the Job
Create an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) and crisis communications plan for how you’ll keep employees and customers safe onsite and communicate with your business network in a crisis. Check out SBP Business Preparedness Guide to learn how. Contact training@sbpusa.org to set up a virtual or in-person training for your workforce.
Now that you have the right resources to prepare your people, it’s time to take action.
Need additional information or assistance? Let us know at training@sbpusa.org