Winter is coming – and we are all seeing it! The temperatures are dropping and people are spending less time outside and more time inside. Preparing your business and your staff for the weather may not seem like your job – they all know it’s getting colder, right? However, it is important that you talk about any preparation that your business needs to do for the adverse weather that’s ahead.
Advance preparation has to start now before you are snowed in. You can get to know snow ploughs in the area, commercial plumbing services for those frozen drain pipes and you can even find a company to hire heaters from. Once you have your preparation complete, you need to tell everyone about it in the office so that the whole team is prepared. So, with this in mind, here are some of the ways you can prepare your business for the winter months ahead.
- A New Weather Policy. Your business should be preparing everyone and every single employee should be notified on what to do when adverse weather hits. If you don’t let everyone know, there could be accidents and injuries and that can lead to your business being sued. Let everyone know what “adverse weather” means so that they are aware, and have a process in place for working from home when the snow or ice makes it impossible for staff to get to work.
- Remote Working. Speaking of working from home, a remote working policy is going to help your business to thrive even when your premises are damaged. People should be able to work from home effectively, and the only reason that they can do that is you are putting flexible working policies in place. If people need help with remote connections, you can set that training in place during drier months.
- Returning to Work. If there has been flood damage in your building, no one should be returning to work until it’s completely safe. Have a policy in place to ensure that people can return to work safely and without being affected by the flooding that occurred. The important thing to remember is that you don’t have to stop working – you just have to make sure that you’re all safe when you do it.
- Preparing The Office. You shouldn’t have anyone coming to work at all – even pre-flooding – if your office is not prepared for the cold. Keeping extra heaters aside and having the HVAC maintained to a high standard is important. You should consider how the office in the depths of winter could cause sickness and a lower morale. When you have ice and snow built up around the doors, you increase the risk of any slips, trips and falls. So, think about bringing in a snow plougher and keep a stock of salt to remove the snow and ice.
Your business should be as protected as possible through the winter months. Your staff need you to keep them safe – it’s your responsibility this winter and the next!
(Cover Image Source: Pexels)