If you live or work on the East Coast then you most likely felt the effects of Winter Storm Jonas last week. The blizzard dumped more than 25 inches of snow in less than two days, and in areas like Washington D.C. and Philadelphia – cities unaccustomed to such weather conditions. The result? Travel bans on interstates, grounded planes and thousands of people stuck at home until the storm passed. The post-storm clean up is expected to take several days and maybe even weeks. Worse, that was just our first big winter storm. Here are our tips to help your business weather the next one.
Form a plan
First off, do you have an inclement weather policy? If not, it’s best to come up with a specific and concrete plan for how your employees will be notified of office closures and what their next steps should be. Employees won’t appreciate trekking all the way to work, battling the elements, only to find out the office is closed. Be clear about how and when employees will find out about a snow day and relevant next steps. Also, make sure to revisit your policies every year and reiterate protocol so everyone is on the same page.
Set expectations
A weather event can lead to unexpected work conditions that many employees may not be accustomed to. Before bad weather hits, talk to your team about expectations for working from home. Emphasize the need for professionalism and that even if they are working from the couch in pajamas, the workday will go on as usual. Snow days, unfortunately, don’t constitute a day off in the work world. Fortunately, with the technology available today, even when the weather causes you to shut down your office, business can still be done in a (semi) normal fashion.
Keep business moving
With the help of cloud-based tools, employees can stay connected and productive from any location. For example, video-conferencing can bring everyone face-to-face for meetings and brainstorms. A CRM will give employees access to customer records and documents even if they’re working from home. Additionally, a project management tool will allow the entire team to distribute, discuss and review materials with the same efficiency as they would in the office.
Winter weather can bring companies to a standstill if they’re not able to conduct business as usual, which means every minute that passes, is money lost. By planning ahead and taking advantage of the right technology, your employees can stay connected and productive even if your physical doors are closed.
