Preparing your business for an event that hasn’t happened yet might sit at the very bottom of your to-do list, but consider this: up to 40% of businesses do not reopen after a catastrophic loss caused by flooding.[1]

But flooding shouldn’t be your only weather concern. As global warming continues to cause an uptick in extreme weather, now is the time to work out your business continuity plan (BCP) for operating in an emergency adverse weather event.

Dealing with staff shortages

Extreme weather can make it difficult, and sometimes impossible, for staff to come to work. Many businesses – especially small businesses – may temporarily close their operations because of this and look to alternative work arrangements.

Even if your company doesn’t offer flexible working, it may be necessary as a last resort. You might consider creating an emergency employee rota that details your company’s most essential staff, which would allow you to maintain a minimum level of business operation in extreme weather.

Visibility and ecommerce

As well as making sure that you’ve got all essential hands on deck, you need to ensure your customers can reach you. Your company’s online visibility can compensate for lack of customer access in extreme weather.

Are the email address and contact number listed on your website up to date? Is the inbox and number manned regularly? How responsive is your company to customer enquiries? Is your essential customer information easy to find?

If you have an online shop, have you checked it’s accessible via mobile? How easy is the customer journey from beginning to checkout? If you don’t have an online shop, do you have a good business reason for it?

Heeding liability

Your business continuity plan is about more than ensuring your business can operate in an emergency situation. It’s also about recognising and preparing for areas in which you may be held liable.

Currently, employers don’t have to pay workers if they’re physically unable to come into work because of extreme weather, which could result in employees trying to come to work in unsafe conditions and getting injured. Alternatively, your company’s workplace might be physically obstructed, and employees may get injured while trying to remove the obstruction.

There are a whole host of extreme weather-related situations which could result in your employees becoming injured and potentially filing a liability claim against you.

Unfortunately, there’s no way of 100% safeguarding your company from these claims, which is where having the right insurance comes in. Making sure your company is covered against such claims will ultimately enable you to rebound quicker, so it’s business as usual as soon as possible.

Sources:

[1] Five statistics brokers should know about commercial flood risk in Britain - FloodFlash Commercial Flood Insurance