Another Day in the HR Field

     A year of turbulence, caution, and weariness is how I would describe 2020 so far and its only June!   If you are not dealing with employees coming or going related to COVID-19, your hearing unrest due to violence in the news involving nationwide protests, rallies, looting and social media opinions running rampant.         There is so much out there going on it is difficult to keep your employees engaged, focused on performing their job and safe in today’s environment.   However, all those things are still our top concerns as managers and human resources professionals.              This year has brought safety to the top of that list almost daily.   So instead of talking about safety related to COVID-19 pandemic, I’d like to focus specifically this month on a topic that is in large part a major concern for business in one of our bigger cities in America as I write this article and has...

Guest Post By Kendall Herbert, Emergency Management Specialist Accidents, Emergencies, and Natural Disasters happen every day, and their repercussions can affect everyone. Emergency managers are the experts who assist work centers and businesses to prepare for, respond to, and recover from a wide range of emergencies that could happen. Some insight they offer are: ·         Preparedness : Informing and preparing employees for any type of hazard they could encounter, such as natural or man-made disasters. As the saying goes “Failing to prepare, is preparing to fail” via Benjamin Franklin. ·         Planning : Many plans and procedures can be created to lessen the impact from disasters. Some typical plans include: o    Business Continuity Plan : This will be a guideline for how business will be conducted when an incident or accident occurs. o    Evacuation Plans : When there is a fire or other emerg...

To continue our focus on Disaster Preparedness this month, I would like to introduce guest author, Kendall Herbert who specializes in Emergency Management and will be in the job market next Spring after graduating with his Bachelors degree in Emergency Management.  Look for other topics along these lines to come. Evacuation and re-entry are important parts of keeping organizations prepared for disasters. It can be the different between a long drawn out process leaving everyone confused, or quicker one which would allow more time to work. Being prepared and taking time in advance can save organizations time and money in the long run. For example, when there is a gas leak within a building what steps are people immediately going to do? ·          Evacuate the building, ·          meet up in the designated location, and ·          wait until told...

The following is from our local SHRM Chapter.  I thought I would share it as a member to help others who are working on Disaster Plans this month: While we thankfully do not have hurricanes in Illinois, the events along the coast reminds us of the importance of emergency preparation.  This is true of our companies as much as for our employees.  Just as businesses have developed disaster plans to limit down time and loss of productivity, we can help our employees be better prepared as well.  By encouraging their preparation, you are reinforcing that they are a valued employee. Listed below are links for you to share with your employees including GO Bag  instructions.      Also listed are links for businesses to begin or evaluate business disaster plans.  Make - Be Ready!  A part of your company discussions.   For employees https://www.ready.gov/ https://www.illinois.gov/ready/plan/Pages/GoBag.aspx https://www.ill...