HR's Role in Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity ? Long-Term ...

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Every disaster situation and every business is different, but even relatively short interruptions to an organization?s normal activities can have a catastrophic impact on its long-term recovery if critical functions are affected.? Reports suggest, for example, that only 30% of America?s small businesses survive a major loss of data, with the remaining 70% going under within just 12 months.? While insurance payouts might make up for some of the losses incurred as the result of a disaster, statistics suggest that these only actually cover around 60% of losses, and of course the effects on cash flow and the loss of business during the period when claims are being sorted out, and often far into the future, can sometimes make survival impossible.? In fact, a massive 75% of businesses which experience a disaster of any kind and have no business continuity plan in place are believed to fail within three years of the event. ?Being prepared with procedures which take into account both business and financial considerations in the immediate aftermath of a catastrophic event and also in the longer term, therefore, is essential if the chances of operations being restored to normal are to be maximized.

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As the function which is responsible for what is often an organization?s most expensive resource, its workforce, HR needs to have a clear set of procedures in place for dealing with what could be long-term disruptions to normal working.? They need to know, for example, how long they intend to keep paying staff who are not critical to the business and who are unable to resume their positions in the wake of a disaster, or how long the business can sustain the additional costs of employees working from emergency locations.? In cases where widespread disasters impact on whole areas or communities, rather than solely on the business, there are also considerations relating to how much time off staff will be permitted to take to deal with their personal situations and the extent of any financial assistance that the organization may be prepared to offer.

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The willingness of staff to help in emergency situations is typically very strong, although of course knowing what is expected of them is vital if they are to make an effective contribution to disaster recovery and business continuity.? Sadly, however, there are some individuals who are more than happy to use business disasters as an excuse to shirk their responsibilities or contrive extended periods of paid absence, and so clearly discipline and performance are not issues which HR can afford to lose track of should the worst occur.? While it is in an organization?s own best interest to support its employees in the wake of a disaster situation and to help them to resume their full-time activities as soon as possible, and many would in fact argue that companies have a responsibility to their workforces to do just that, a wise employer will also be mindful of the potential for disgruntled or less responsible workers to use the situation to their own advantage and have plans in place for dealing with them.? As I have said though, the vast majority of workers make sometimes Herculean efforts to ensure that the companies which employ them do recover, and so alongside monitoring performance during the recovery period, HR also needs to take the lead in showing recognition and thanks for the efforts that the workforce has made in difficult circumstances.

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In common with every other department or function of an organization, another responsibility which rests with HR in the wake of a disaster is to learn from the event so that they are even better prepared in the future.? The harsh reality is that lightning does sometimes strike more than once and it is probably fair to say that the chances of surviving subsequent disasters diminish with each one that hits.? While getting the business back on its feet as quickly as possible clearly has to be top priority, time spent analyzing the organization?s response and improving disaster recovery and business continuity plans and procedures for the future is time well-spent and could make the difference between whether it sinks or swims should it suffer the effects of a further emergency.

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Source: http://www.hrninjablog.com/?p=2683

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