It's hurricane season, and companies all along the Gulf should have a plan in place not only to address business continuity issues, but also the human resources and staffing questions that arise in the event of a natural disaster like a hurricane or flooding event. Our firm has prepared the attached employer guide addressing these practical questions for employers, including:
– Legal protections for employees who are absent due to a
disaster or evacuation order;
– Payroll obligations for exempt or non-exempt employees who
are absent because of a disaster;
– Practical impact of on-call time or employees volunteering
to help during a disaster;
– Communication plan for coordinating reopening of operations
in the aftermath of a disaster;
– Leave rights related to caring for family members during a
weather event; and
– Checklist for preparing a disaster preparation plan for the
HR Department.
The key to successfully handling a natural disaster as an organization is having a plan in place before the event occurs. If your company doesn't have a plan, now is an excellent time to prepare one. If you have one already in place, the start of hurricane season is a great time to dust off the plan and update it.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
