Business Continuity Planning for the Summer's Extreme Temperatures

This summer has proven to be a blistering one for many across the world. This week is expected to be the hottest of the year for the lower 48 states, and the extreme weather going through Europe could bring record-high temperatures to the southern part of the continent. 
 
This heat will not only impact businesses' ability to stay open and serve customers, but recent studies have shown that extreme heat could cost the United States $100 billion annually from the productivity loss alone. 
 
However, more important than looming productivity losses, shared services first responsibility in this time of environmental crisis is to protect the wellness and safety of workers. This is why it is time to revisit business continuity planning (BCP), which is a topic that was heavily discussed at the onset of the Covid pandemic. 

A business continuity plan is a system of prevention, preparedness, and recovery that organizations compile in the case of potential threats to the company. A BCP ensures that personnel and assets can function in the event of a disaster. As extreme weather events become more common and more severe, it is more important than ever to have a BCP. 
 
When creating a BCP for extreme weather events, be sure to focus on these 5 key areas: 

1. Risk assessment: It’s critical to assess the potential risks your business faces from extreme weather events, such as flooding, hurricanes, or tornadoes.
2. Planning an effective response: This involves developing a plan for how your business will respond to an extreme weather event, including how you will evacuate your employees, protect your assets, and restore operations.
3. Roles and responsibilities: This involves assigning roles and responsibilities to key personnel in the event of an extreme weather event.
4. Communication: Everyone should understand their role in a disaster. This means developing a communication plan for how you will communicate with your employees, customers, and other stakeholders during and after an extreme weather event.
5. Testing and training: This involves testing your BCP and training your employees on how to respond to an extreme weather event. 

There are several benefits to establishing a BCP. For example, a BCP ensures businesses are stay complicit with government regulations requiring companies to have disaster preparedness plans. Additionally, having a plan in place for catastrophes shows consumers that a brand is proactive and prepared . And most importantly, a BCP protects workers and provides them confort with the knowledge that their employer has a plan in place if diaster strikes. 

Employee Wellness

This extreme weather should also serve as a reminder that the employee experience is of the utmost importance in 2023. 
 
In order to retain top talent, shared services need to provide flexible work arrangements. In the case of extreme heat, this means allowing employees into air-conditioned offices or allowing them to stay at home if they feel unsafe making the commute to work. 
 
Shared services must encourage leaders to be thoughtful of their employee's situations. Leaders need to encourage their people to care for themselves, whether that means eating well, getting enough sleep, or exercising. Encourage employees to take breaks throughout the day and take time to relax and de-stress. 
 
Additionally, offer mental health and wellness resources. Employees may be experiencing stress, anxiety, or other mental health challenges as a result of the severe weather. Provide them with resources such as employee assistance programs, counseling services, or mindfulness apps. 
 
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