When Disaster Strikes: Supporting Employees Through Wildfires and Floods

Blizzards, hurricanes, earthquakes, mudslides, tornadoes, freezes—we’ve all seen how nature’s power can disrupt everything in an instant. But in those moments of chaos, how we support our employees can make all the difference. Are we truly prepared?

Natural disasters disrupt not just homes but also workplaces. For some, it’s wildfires tearing through California. For others, it’s flooding in North Carolina or a tornado that levels everything. These disasters impact employees in ways that ripple across teams and workloads.

When employees are dealing with unimaginable challenges, how we redistribute workloads and adjust deadlines can define how supported they feel during recovery.

Here’s how leaders can proactively approach disaster preparedness and workload redistribution:

1. Flexible Leave Policies

• Emergency Leave: Allow employees to focus on evacuations, repairs, or caregiving without work deadlines hanging over their heads.
• PTO Donations: Let colleagues share unused vacation time with affected employees.
• Natural Disaster Sabbaticals: Offer extended leave for those needing time to rebuild their homes and lives.

2. Workload Redistribution and Deadline Adjustments

• Redistribute Tasks: Reassign responsibilities to teammates with bandwidth or bring in temporary contractors to cover critical roles.
• Prioritize and Simplify: Identify essential tasks and pause non-urgent projects to lighten the load on everyone.
• Communicate Changes: Be transparent with the team about temporary workload adjustments while respecting the impacted employee’s privacy.
• Manager Support: Empower managers to make quick decisions about workload rebalancing and staffing to keep teams aligned and supported.

3. Financial Support

• Set up employee relief funds with dollar-for-dollar company matching.
• Provide pay advances or no-interest loans for unexpected costs like temporary housing or repairs.

4. Housing Assistance

• Partner with relocation services and housing organizations to secure short-term accommodations for displaced employees.
• Work with hotels or extended-stay providers to offer discounted rates.

5. Clear Disaster Response Plans

• Develop and share disaster decision trees that outline steps for employees and leadership to take during and after a disaster.
• Train managers to provide compassionate guidance when their teams need it most.

6. Mental and Emotional Well-Being

Living through a disaster is deeply personal. Whether it’s a hurricane, a wildfire, or a freeze, the aftermath leaves emotional scars. Provide:

• Counseling and grief support.
• Group therapy options to foster connection and healing.
• A culture where asking for help is encouraged and normalized.

7. Community and Culture of Care

• Organize team donation drives for essentials like clothing, food, and supplies.
• Create opportunities for employees to contribute directly to colleagues in need, whether through funds, PTO, or acts of service.

8. Long-Term Recovery Support

• Recovery doesn’t end when the news cycle moves on. Provide ongoing check-ins and resources for navigating insurance, aid applications, and rebuilding.
• Maintain workplace flexibility to accommodate the longer-term needs of employees recovering from disasters.

As someone who’s experienced disasters firsthand, I’ve seen how important it is to feel supported during those moments of upheaval. Whether it’s redistributing workloads, adjusting deadlines, or simply showing up for employees in practical ways, our role as leaders is to help restore stability—and hope.

How does your organization handle workload redistribution and support during times of crisis?