Photo by Smartworks Coworking on Unsplash
In disaster preparedness, naturally your goal should be to lessen impacts by designing and coordinating a plan to save your resources and your time.
History has taught us there are essentially three types of disasters:
- Human-made – mass shootings, riots and terror attacks
- Nature – earthquakes, floods, hurricanes and tornadoes
- Technological – chemical releases, cybercrime and ransomware, natural gas explosions and power outages
Any of the above can wreak havoc on your business and is why you should be aware of the four phases in comprehensive planning: Mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.
All of this is why it’s important to include human resources and payroll in your disaster planning for business continuity.
Here’s how to synergize HR and payroll:
1. Your human resources and payroll files should be backed up regularly. For safekeeping, store your data offsite.
2. Develop a business-impact analysis and strategies, especially for critical functions and time-sensitive projects including the processes for payroll.
3. Plan for business continuity with your key employees. They should know their responsibilities. Don’t forget to train them how to communicate with your workers, vendors, independent contractors and insurance agents or brokers.
4. Make certain to have contact information for each employee for communication before, during and following a disaster. That includes their cellphone numbers, email and social media.
5. If you haven’t already, double-check with your remote workers to see they have an approved computer system including apps, data, peripherals and a secure broadband.
Tips for Filing an Insurance Claim if You’re Hit by a Disaster
6. Warn your remotely working nonexempt employees of your deadlines in order for them to turn in their time records. They should also be instructed to keep accurate time records.
7. Give your key staff members secure notebook computers and mobile hotspots and have them practice processing the payroll.
8. Make certain you have secure cloud access for payroll and that it’s separate from other records.
9. If you have employees who don’t receive their wages electronically, get an MICR check printer that will print MICR fonts on checks.
10. Arrange for preferably two managers, who have check-signing authority, to co-sign checks.
10. Plan to publish your employees’ pay statements on a secure website.
From the Coach’s Corner, related tips:
19 Tips to Protect Your Core Assets from a Disaster – Texas officials have highly praised the Trump Administration for its relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. But have the nation’s businesses capitalized on such lessons? Is your business ready? Here’s a 19-point business continuity plan.
Best-Practices in Protecting Your Supply Chain from Natural Disasters – As a manufacturer, you know the importance of protecting your supply chain for your company’s future. So you might be interested in an academic study — lessons from the earthquake that resulted in a tsunamis and nuclear catastrophe in Japan.
Technology – 6 Strategies to Prevent Data Center Downtime – Outages can cause a whole series of expensive and sometimes irreparable damage – not only for a company or government agency but the economy and human costs. Here are six solutions.
Protect Your Financials, Systems and Technology – 15 Tips – Cybercrime has skyrocketed and is projected to get much worse. At risk is the health of your company as well as the welfare of anyone with whom you do business. Here’s how to protect your customers and your reputation.
Develop a Durable Supply Chain Despite Coronavirus – There are steps you can take to alleviate the health and economic challenges to your supply chain – now – and for the future.
“A prudent person foresees the danger ahead and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.”
-Proverbs 27:12
__________
