When disaster strikes, it is important for employers to be able to communicate efficiently and with empathy towards their employees. Workforce magazine rounds up the best advice from HR experts, some of which are excerpted below.
- “Boosting morale and showing empathy for employees is crucial in times of tragedy, says Adam Ochstein, CEO of HR service company StratEx, who allowed work from home, paid for cabs or Ubers and provided lunch during a blizzard in 2014.
- Keeping in contact during disasters is also crucial. “Most HR teams, including GuideSpark’s, will then start dialing cell phones, land lines and emergency contacts until they have reached every last employee,” Goncalves told Workforce.
- Employment attorney Mishell Parreno Taylor talked about legal responsibilities employers have after natural disasters, including being clear about wages and hours for remote work. “If you have people out there putting in time and working remotely there is an obligation to compensate them for that time,” she told Workforce. “It’s important, though, from wage-hour claims that an employer communicates time and attendance policies that shows compensable time and is accurately reporting time.”
Source:
http://www.workforce.com/2017/08/31/hurricane-harvey-shows-need-employer-communication-empathy/
