Following Hurricanes Harvey and Irma and the devastating flooding and destruction that has affected southeast Texas and Florida, many small to medium-sized businesses and organizations in Colorado and across the United States are new realizing the importance of designing, testing and implementing a business continuity and preparedness plan. Such a plan can help your business or organization minimize the risk of chaos and confusion in the event of a natural disaster, avoid putting your employees and contractors in unnecessary danger, and help protect your data, files and other physical assets. Ultimately, such a plan can and must also help maintain the continuity of your business operations in the aftermath of a disaster.
A business continuity and preparedness plan should be customized to fit both your business and the probability of a natural or man-made disaster occurring near your headquarters, place of business or center of operations. The Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) has identified the following steps that most business continuity and preparedness plan should include:
- Establish evacuation procedures and communicate them to every employee; routinely conduct evacuation drills (as well as fire drills).
- Maintain accurate emergency contact information to reach employees and next of kin.
- Establish and publicize mechanisms (e.g., intranet, phone, recorded announcement) through which the employer may inform its employees of any pertinent development.
- Reassess the means and manner in which critical information is stored, both physically and electronically, to prevent irreparable physical damage from crippling the company’s operations.
- Review existing property, casualty, business interruption, life and other insurance policies, and modify such coverage where necessary or prudent.
Depending on the size of your workforce, a business continuity and preparedness plan should also consider both federal and state laws and reporting requirements, including OSHA, COBRA, laws and regulations related to paycheck delivery, and I-9 reporting and record retention requirements. Luckily, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) provides information and resources for employers of all sizes at Ready.gov, which can greatly assist your business or organization in creating a comprehensive and practical plan.
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