Manage your Affected Employees After Extreme Weather Events

While natural disasters can shut down businesses and destroy property, they can also seriously impact the personal lives of your employees. Fortunately, the benefits your organization offers employees can not only help those directly impacted recover, but they can also help retain them over the long haul.

Benefits that can help impacted employees

To help them physically:

MEDICAL INSURANCE

If employees have been physically injured during a natural disaster, health plans can cover all or part of necessary medical services needed to treat broken bones, burns, concussions, or other health issues they may have suffered due to the damaging weather.

TELEMEDICINE

Injured employees (who are not suffering from a life-threatening injury) can get quick and easy medical attention virtually with a health professional even if impassable roads prevent them from leaving their house or immediate community. And because telemedicine options typically cost less, that can minimize expenses.

SHORT AND LONG-TERM DISABILITY

If an employee suffers extensive injuries during a natural disaster and is under doctor’s orders not to work for a certain amount of time, short-term or long-term disability policies can pay a part of their salary while they recover. Eligibility for these benefits and waiting periods may apply, so it’s best if employees contact their provider.

To help them financially:

EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE FUNDS

Many organizations have created nonprofit entities for tax-advantaged special funds to support colleagues in times of crisis and financial hardship, such as: the COVID-19 pandemic, hurricanes, and other natural disasters. Both leaders and employees can contribute to these funds to help fellow employees get back on their feet. In addition, some organizations allow employees to donate their accumulated time off to an affected employee who may need to take extended time off from work and still get paid.

FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNTS (DEPENDENT AND HEALTH)

To pay for out-of-pocket medical costs incurred as the result of a natural disaster, affected employees may tap into their flexible spending accounts to pay for prescriptions, copayments, physical therapy, and possible dependent care expenses they need to fully recover.

RETIREMENT PLANS

To help pay for rebuilding a home or finding temporary housing, employees may be able take a loan or hardship withdrawal against their retirement account or get financial counseling from retirement benefits providers.

LIFE INSURANCE

One of the realities of natural disasters is that they often take lives. If an employee (or one of their family members) loses their life in a storm, and they were covered by a life insurance policy as part of their benefit options, the surviving beneficiaries should work with the insurance advisor for help reporting a claim with the insurance provider. The financial support provided by life insurance can help cover funeral costs and assist employees’ families with making future plans.

To help them emotionally:

EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (EAP)

The services provided by an EAP can be particularly helpful for employees recovering from an extreme weather event. It can offer services for emotional and mental health counseling for those suffering from shock, grief, and uncertainty. Plus, they often provide access to financial consultations, discounts on legal fees, home services, and more.

PAID TIME OFF (PTO)

The trauma of losing a loved one or a home in one of these catastrophic weather events can be debilitating. So, if an employee is unable to work, needs time to recover mentally, clean out a flooded basement, salvage belongings, meet with insurance claims representatives, or search for missing family members after an extreme weather event, paid leave benefits can help by providing income during that time. Reach out to affected employees and remind them of your organization’s PTO policies and how much time they can use to use to take care of personal matters.

FLEXIBILITY

After an extreme weather event, it may be difficult for some employees to get to work due to mass transit shutdowns, closed roads, and interrupted communications. Consider offering the flexibility to adjust work schedules and deadlines for activities, such as benefits enrollment, retirement plan contributions, and other time-sensitive tasks.

FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE ACT (FMLA)

This is designed to help employees balance work and family life by allowing them to take reasonable unpaid leave for certain reasons. For example, if an employee suffers a physical or mental injury in an extreme weather event and can’t work, or if an employee is required to care for a spouse, child, or parent with a serious health condition, remind them of their rights under this law.

COMMAND CENTER

Setting up an area, either on-site or online, for affected employees to get useful information in one place can help ease the burden of managing the many post-disaster tasks they may have to handle.

Consider things, such as:

• Contact information for insurance companies to get help filing claims
• Guidance about completing FEMA documents
• Assistance finding trusted contractors to help rebuild
• Tips for avoiding common scams that occur after extreme weather hits
• Information about community or federal relief efforts

Supporting employees during times of crisis can help instill loyalty and appreciation over the long-term. Let’s work together to tailor a benefits program that meets your specific goals.