If the results of a new survey are any indication, many business leaders could find it difficult if not impossible to connect with all of their workers in emergency situations and discover too late their employees have no idea how to respond to the crisis.
earthquakes not been interrupted or have not been aware of any interruptions
Surveyed during the third wave of the pandemic and lockdowns, the study found only 37 per cent of businesses feel fully prepared to deal with future emergencies or disasters. Meanwhile, one-in-10 feel this isn’t an urgent concern, seven per cent feel they are not investing the appropriate amount, five per cent have been putting this off due to resource constraints and three per cent are unprepared or don’t know enough about the topic.
“Major incidents can include anything from wildfires to full-scale floods, ice storms and hurricanes. However, it doesn’t have to be weather related to take a business offline as we have seen through the pandemic lockdowns,” said Bill Fender, SVP Commercial Property Portfolios, at First Onsite Property Restoration. “Businesses in all industries are faced with a unique challenge – hibernating commercial facilities that are left vacant and unattended. This is a
The Growing Mental Health Crisis From COVID-19 in Austin
When COVID-19 first made its way to Austin in March, many believed it would bring little more than a few weeks of working and schooling from home. Instead, it has evolved into a transformative pandemic that has upended America and created a number of unexpected side effects. Most notably, the weight of nine months (and counting) in flux and more than a million coronavirus cases in Texas has generated a widespread mental health crisis.
As life skidded to a halt and Austinites grappled with vital but taxing safety measures like social distancing, quarantining, and sheltering at home, many battled through collective grief while adjusting to a new reality. For Erin Brown, 30, this exacerbated her medically diagnosed depressive disorder and severe anxiety. As her community shut down around her, Brown’s future, health, and financial stability became increasingly unsteady.