Is your business prepared for a disaster?

Download our sample Business Continuity Plan (BCP) to learn what steps you should take to keep your company moving during a disaster or emergency.

How To Maintain Human Resources After a Disaster

When your business suddenly floods, loses power or has to halt operations, how can you ensure your employees are still paid on time and up to date on the company's situation? One way to make the most out of business continuity planning is to consider outsourcing payroll and human resources responsibilities as part of the plan. This article takes a look at a few of the ways your company could benefit from integrating outsourcing and HR providers into your business continuity plans.

1. Ensures payroll continues to be processed. If companies pay employees through paper paychecks, the loss of power, equipment damage or delayed delivery systems due to a natural disaster could make printing and sending paychecks impossible. This could not only cause employees to wait on necessary funds at the worst possible time, but can also cause legal concerns for the company. Fortunately, a professional employer organization (PEO) or HR provider can assist in this type of situation. For instance, they would be able to provide electronic payment options so employees could continue to get paid. Additionally, the PEO could store payroll records and other employee information for safekeeping and easy access during a disaster.

2. Provides additional employee benefits. A PEO can provide employees with additional benefits both before and after a disaster occurs. These benefits could include basics like health insurance coverage or further employee assistance programs. This will not only provide the employees extra support during this difficult time, but will also ensure they're taken care of if their regular benefits or insurance is disrupted.

3. Provides compliance guidance. Like previously stated, employers may face employment law issues when it comes to wage regulations during emergencies. If payment is delayed, employers may face penalties depending on the state laws for wage payments. HR consultants will be able to assist the company in understanding these laws, how to maintain compliance and what actions to take if penalties are enforced.

4. Keeps current employees updated. Depending on the type of business, employees may be out of work for a while after the disaster occurs. Being out of work can be financially harmful, and employees may begin to look for employment elsewhere. Very quickly, business downtime can become permanent, which is why business continuity plans are so crucial in the first place.In order to avoid losing valued workers, employers must keep their employees updated on what is going on with the business as well as assisting them in finding other projects to work on. In fact, research shows that employees who are actively engaged and have a high sense of well-being are 42% more likely to evaluate their overall lives positively. Additionally, they are 7% more likely to recover "fully" after an illness, injury, or hardship. Keeping employees in the loop and reassuring them that they're a priority is instrumental in a time of distress. A human resources provider can assist employers with management of employee responsibilities along with assistance handling any disaster unemployment claims filed by employees.

5. Future risk management planning. Possibly one of the most beneficial things that can come from outsourcing to a PEO during a natural disaster is getting assistance in planning for future disasters. An HR firm can help implement risk management policies into a company's BCP as well as establish additional policies should a natural disaster occur again in the future.

6. Provides resource information. During and after a natural disaster, a business owner has many responsibilities to try to balance. A PEO can provide resource information and updates to employees, which in turn allows the owner to focus on other aspects of the business. Not only will this enable the business owner to focus primarily on getting the business back up and running, but it will ensure employees receive any crucial information quickly, thus reducing their anxiety during a painful time.

Of course, having a plan to maintain human resources and payroll is just one important aspect of the best Business Continuity Plans. And, unfortunately, not all natural disasters are the same, so it can be difficult to have one plan that will work for every potential disaster. But with the help of a PEO or experienced HR provider, a business can be as prepared as possible to handle any issues that may arise.

For more information on preparing for your business's worst case scenario, contact G&A Partners, a leader among HR consultant firms and PEOs in Texas and across the nation. Get started with G&A Partners today!