Women at work and their tips, challenges, advice, complaints, and experiences

Those of you who are watching the headlines about the California wildfires are probably wondering what you would do if a similar disaster faced your company or home.  Evacuation is not an easy process, physically or emotionally, and it behooves all business people (and employees) to be as prepared as possible.  Whether it is fires that threaten your area, earthquakes, tornadoes, or the like, it's vital that you be aware of what your company's procedures are for such times. 

If you are the owner of a small business or work for a company that does not have clear cut plans for just such moments, perhaps these tips will help:

1. Ask local authorities (police, fire agencies, Homeland Security contacts, etc) to assess the risks to your business and locale.  They should have, or be able to direct you to, resources where you can learn how to best prepare for the worst.
2. Make sure you have backups of computer files and copies of important documents in a safe place.  Some companies choose to store such backups at a remote server not located in their area for just this reason.  If natural disaster strikes, their files should remain untouched - ready to be called upon when things are up and running again.  Small business owners may be able to store such items on a portable hard drive that goes in their grab 'n go kit.
3. "Grab 'n go kit?  What's that?"  It's a bag or set of bags in which you have 72 hours (or more) of essentials in case you literally have to grab your stuff and go.  Make sure you've got one for each family member in the case of your home; businesses may tend more toward having things like First Aid kits, water, and the like.  If you commute more than a few minutes to work, it's a good idea to have something along these lines in your vehicle rather than assuming you can get home from work, or hoping your employer has resources for everyone on staff.
4. Keep a phone tree visible in the office, and make sure everyone on the team has a copy.  That way if someone is on their way to work, or a company site is in danger and everyone needs to be told to stay away from the area, no one person is stuck trying to get a hold of the entire employee roster.  If each manager calls their immediate staff and those folks call their assistants, it can take a huge burden off the shoulders of the decision makers or the HR folks who often make such calls.
5. If your company operates in an area that has such issues frequently, verify the policies and insurance issues involved.  Know whether you are to report to work unless told otherwise, to call in absent if you're advised to stay put by authorities or can just assume everyone is "off" for the moment, and what the insurance and company liability issues are if you (or one of your staff) are told to come to work and are somehow injured on the way.  If you're a member of management, make sure that you are covered adequately if an employer tries to force folks to come to work - you don't want any liability resting on you, nor do you want to have to tell people they "must" come in or be fired.  Not fair, or safe, for you or them!

While we're on the subject of the California fires, please keep Know More Media author Maria Palma, as well as our other southern California authors, in your thoughts and prayers.  As some of you may know, my family recently relocated to California for the time being.  We are safe and sound well north of San Diego and the location of the CA fires, but others are possibly in harm's way.  To those readers and Workerettes who are in the area - we are wishing you the best and hoping for your safety.