Don’t wait until a natural disaster strikes. Start planning now for how you can help employees recover and get back to normal as quickly as possible. A few ways you can support your team include:
- Communicate as soon as possible after disaster strikes, if only just to let everyone know what is happening with the organization, what is expected of them, what to do if they need help, etc. Let them know in advance how you will communicate with them, whether via email, a phone chain, social media, or other means.
- Make sure leadership is present. Employees will be looking to leaders for comfort, guidance, and support; so these individuals should be visible and positive as much as possible.
- Ensure managers have the tools they need to help employees and know where to refer them if they don’t have answers.
- Realize that people may need to get their homes and families settled before coming back to work. Have policies in place for crisis/emergency leave and work with employees as much as possible to accommodate their needs.
- Support employees as possible. Consider offering temporary onsite or near-site child care and hot meals for employees and family members.
- Join community relief efforts and encourage/enable staff to do so as well.
- Keep your disaster response and recovery plans up to date.
