As hurricane season approaches, companies with remote workers and hybrid teams face unique challenges. While data security and infrastructure are critical, equally important is showing your team that their safety and well-being come first. The best business continuity plans are necessarily human-centered, and preparing your remote workforce doesn’t just involve providing a technical checklist.
The Gulf Coast of Florida suffered significant damage in the aftermath of 2024 storms – but Alliance IT successfully supported our clients through the devastation. This article will discuss recommendations from our team about how your organization can protect operations during hurricane season – while also reassuring your team that their safety is a top priority.
Start with Human-Centered Communication
Before diving into backup plans and tech safeguards, let your remote and hybrid employees know you’re thinking about them as people first. Whether your team is located in hurricane-prone areas or scattered across the country, showing empathy and concern builds trust. A simple email from leadership outlining your storm season readiness and encouraging staff to prepare personally can go a long way. Include safety resources, evacuation guidance, and supportive language like:
“While we have strong continuity plans in place, your safety is the top priority. If you’re in an area at risk, please focus on protecting your home and family first.”
This message reinforces that employees aren’t just part of the system—they’re part of your team’s well-being.
Review Your Business Continuity Plan with Remote Workers
Your employees want to know the company is ready—but they also want to understand how it impacts them. Schedule a brief virtual meeting or town hall to review your hurricane preparedness strategy with hybrid and remote workers. Cover items like:
- How systems and data are protected
- Backup communication channels
- Emergency procedures and check-ins
- Expectations for productivity during outages
Encourage questions and be honest about any limitations. This level of transparency builds confidence and ensures your team knows what to do if disaster strikes.
Establish a Clear Remote Communication Chain
When internet and power outages hit, remote employees may feel isolated or unsure of how to report in—or if they even need to. Set expectations early. Define how and when your team should check in during emergencies, and provide multiple communication channels such as:
- Company messaging apps, such as Microsoft Teams
- Text message groups or email threads
- Emergency contacts in leadership or IT
Also, let employees know that you understand connectivity may be unreliable. Encourage them to stay safe and reconnect when they can—without penalty or pressure.
Protect Devices and Data Before the Storm
Empower your remote employees to secure their digital workspace. Send out a checklist with steps they can take, such as:
- Backing up important files to the cloud
- Ensuring antivirus and endpoint protection is up to date
- Unplugging devices if a storm is imminent
- Verifying contact information in your emergency systems
Alliance IT clients can rest assured—we offer remote monitoring and cloud-based backups as part of our managed services, helping to keep your team’s data secure even if local devices are damaged. During the historic flooding of Sarasota business in 2024, Alliance IT services remained up, running and protected. You can trust our team to protect your business as well.
Offer Remote Workers Flexibility and Support
After a hurricane, your employees may be dealing with damage or loss of power and internet. Some may have had to evacuate and may not even be able to return home. Demonstrating compassion and patience is critical. Offer flexible schedules or extended deadlines when needed.
If your company provides wellness benefits or mental health resources, now is the time to promote them. A message that says “Take care of yourself—we’ve got your back” isn’t just kind, it’s good leadership.
Understanding Goes a Long Way for Remote Workers
Your remote workers may be spread out across cities or states, but a storm doesn’t need to disrupt your connection as a team. Alliance IT helps Sarasota area businesses to secure their remote workforces and prepare for whatever comes next. Let’s build a plan that protects your data and your people – before the storm hits. Call today for more information.
