If disaster strikes, would you know how to reach your employees? Do you have current home and mobile phone numbers, street addresses, email addresses and emergency contact information for each of them? Is this information available outside your business location?
To put it simply, your employees are your business’s most valuable asset. And in an emergency situation, two-way communication with them is critical. To make sure you know your employees (and the best ways to reach them), we recommend using our printable employee information form.
Simply gather the information you need about each employee, then work to keep it current.
Additionally, you can take the following actions to help improve your communication readiness:
- Create an employee phone tree and an emergency call-in voice recording phone number where employees can leave messages.
- Create a special emergency email account using free services provided by Yahoo!, Gmail, Hotmail, etc. In a disaster situation, employees can use this account to contact the company regarding their status. Be sure all employees know how to access the emergency account.
Other employee-related considerations:
- Is any assistance needed for employees with special needs? Consider communication difficulties, physical limitations, equipment instructions and medical procedures.
- Which employees are caring for children or individuals with special needs? These responsibilities may prevent them from being available in a disaster situation.
- Which employees are trained in first aid or CPR? These skills could be critical in an emergency.
- Does one employee have special work skills no other employee has? Consider training another employee in these skills so a backup is available.
Finally, encourage all employees to have their own personal emergency preparedness plans at home. The more prepared they are at home, the faster they can return to work to help your business recover.
Ready to get started? To really know your employees, download our printable employee information form now. Fill out a form for each employee, then review and update it every six months.
Frankly speaking, the best businesses are prepared for the worst, and our Disaster Preparedness Guide has you covered.
