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Lessons From Katrina
December 12, 2005 With a record-breaking – and heart-breaking - hurricane season officially behind us, HR professionals find themselves at the forefront of law firms revisiting their disaster plans. But, no matter how well thought out preparedness plans were, law firms watched the previously untested plans collapse like a house of cards when Katrina and Wilma struck. We are still months (maybe years) away from a full debriefing on law firms’ preparedness but we are benefiting from the immediate feedback coming from affected firms.
While the immediate focus was on survival and life-saving efforts, within a few days client concerns began to emerge for lawyers who either lived in areas that were less affected or had successfully relocated themselves. Finding and keeping track of employees who relocated all over the country, many of whom had critical client information, was almost impossible. Having a central point of contact is of vital importance for firms attempting to convey important information such as health insurance claims, pay checks, access to pension funds and credit unions. Some immediate lessons learned:
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Create and accurately maintain a list of attorney and staff cell phone numbers. It is especially important to have the numbers of HR, IT and Finance staff members.
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In advance of need, create a website on a server with an ISP in a different geographical area. Use the site as an online bulletin board for communications to and from attorneys and staff.
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Set up an 800 number hotline for those who cannot access the internet.
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Give attorneys and staff members a laminated card with website and 800 numbers plus any other emergency instructions. The back of employee ID cards or door access key cards is ideal.
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