What I’ll
Probably
Photos courtesy of David Shankbone
Do is ...
Nothing
By ALISON KASHIN
As Hurricane Irene approachedthe East Coast last August, threaten- ing businesses from the Carolinas all the way through to Maine, work- places were filled with chatter about what – if
anything – people were doing to get
ready. While some shared concerns with
coworkers and discussed the best ways
to prepare, others blew off the impending storm or ignored evacuation orders
entirely. Although the choice to disregard
preparedness advice is generally unfathomable to business continuity and disaster recovery professionals, the response
to recent events proved that many others
in the workplace would respond in this
way.
The fact that Hurricane Irene didn’t hit
certain evacuated regions with the fury
anticipated led many to question the warnings and decisions of public figures all
along the Eastern Seaboard. This doubt
shifted attention, however, from examining an issue that is critical to understand-
ing how well prepared companies are to
cope with disaster – the actions of their
employees.
Pay attention to the way your company’s employees respond to calls for evacuation and preparedness. Not only do
employees who do nothing when called
to action put your company at greater
risk for loss of personnel, but their lack
of response can also indicate underlying
attitudes that may have a deeper meaning
for the role these individuals play in your
workplace.
Someone who ignores evacuation
orders and avoids taking precautions
exhibits the following behaviors or attitudes:
Prefers risk over effort
Taking risks is often a positive trait in
employees when that risk offers potential
for reward. But all risks are not equal,
and some should never be taken. When it
comes to preparing for a known incom-
ing threat, those who ignore preparation
advice aren’t balancing risk with reward,
but rather with effort. There is little to
be gained from refusing to prepare for a
disaster other than saving oneself the trou-
ble of stocking up on supplies, securing
the home, or evacuating. Someone who is
reluctant to prepare for and thereby reduce
the impact of a disaster may well be more
likely to choose risk over effort in the
workplace as well. Keep in mind the deci-
sion to do nothing isn’t neutral. As in the
case of those areas that were hit harder by
Hurricane Irene, the choice to do nothing
can have severe consequences.
