A large percentage of businesses don't survive the first year after a major disaster, largely because they weren't ready with a recovery plan that they could put into place quickly. Disaster planning (and business continuity planning in general) can stack the odds in favor of a company's survival. Following are just a few of the key issues you should plan for before you are faced with a disaster.
Who's in charge?
Form a disaster management team.
Who should be on the team?
Do a vulnerability assessment
Likelihood of various natural and manmade disasters
Impact of various disasters
Create a plan
Business continuity
Needs of employees
Disaster-related policies
Communicating with employees and responding to their needs after a disaster
Message from senior management
Informational meetings
Coping with the intense reactions of vulnerable employees
Performance management strategies
Company response to the larger community
Employee Assistance Program (EAP) disaster services available
Education and support—pre-critical event
Critical incident response—immediately following critical event
After-care services—ongoing support
If you have EAP coverage through Evernorth, please contact us at any time for assistance and support during this challenging time. You can connect through well.evernorth.com or call the toll-free number provided by your employer.