In today’s fast-paced world, emergencies can happen at any time and organizations need to be prepared to handle them effectively. With an increasing number of employees working remotely and in different time zones, managing emergency situations has become even more challenging. However, it’s important to be prepared, as crises will crop up from time to time. Whether it’s a cyber or physical security breach, weather event, or employee welfare, you need effective strategies for handling emergencies after-hours and with remote team members.
Create a Crisis Plan & Appoint a Dedicated Problem Solver
One of the most important aspects of handling emergencies with remote employees is having a well-defined crisis plan in place. This should include detailed action plans for various emergency situations that your organization may encounter. It should outline the steps each person should take so that the problem can be addressed quickly. A comprehensive crisis plan should also involve appointing a dedicated problem solver who is responsible for coordinating and executing the plan.
The dedicated problem solver should be a seasoned employee with experience managing remote teams and dealing with emergencies after normal business hours. This person should be well-versed in the remote work environment and understand the unique challenges that remote employees might face during an emergency.
Keep Your Messaging Positive & Consistent Across Departments
During emergencies, it’s crucial to maintain clear and consistent communication across the organization. This ensures everyone is on the same page and helps prevent confusion or misunderstandings. You should also keep your messaging positive, focusing on solutions and support rather than dwelling on the problem itself. Emails, phone calls, text messages, and other forms of communication can be used to ensure that everyone is informed and updated about the situation.
Even if only a few people on your team are affected by weather-related incidents or other types of emergencies, keeping everyone abreast of the situation is still beneficial. This affords other team members peace of mind about their coworkers and lets them know their team members may be out of reach for the time being.
Be Accessible
For remote employees and those working in different time zones, it’s crucial to have an open line of communication during emergency situations. Make sure that team members have access to an emergency contact, such as a dedicated problem solver, who can provide guidance and support when needed.
Being accessible also means being responsive to the needs of your remote team. This might involve adjusting your working hours to accommodate different time zones or using communication tools for real-time collaboration and updates. It could also be beneficial to post a hotline number, such as the ZipBridge Hotline, on your internal website or employee portal so that remote team members and employees working after regular business hours can reach incident response teams during emergencies without delay.
Use Your ZipBridge Outbound Conference Calling System to Assemble Remote & After-Hours Teams Instantly
A tool like ZipBridge is invaluable for getting in touch with key employees after hours and remotely. This platform for instant team communications enables the incident response team identified in the crisis plan to connect with each other over a conference line within seconds. This form of outbound conference calling communication is especially crucial in a distributed team where employees may be working from home or in different locations and time zones. Members of the team will recognize the call, so they make every effort to answer or call back in. Once connected in seconds, the team can quickly strategize on the right course of action in response to public relations disasters, cyber security breaches, data loss, and security and health issues — all without having to gather face-to-face or worrying about emails and messages being missed.
Keep Remote Teams Connected During Emergencies With ZipBridge
Handling emergencies after-hours or with remote team members requires careful planning, clear communication, and providing access to vital tools and platforms. While you can’t avoid emergencies altogether, you can ensure your teams are prepared to swiftly handle critical incidents.
ZipBridge’s Outbound Conference Calling crisis communication platform can provide a sense of peace for remote workers and incident response teams after normal business hours, as it acts as a direct line to key decision-makers during emergencies. Stay prepared and connected with ZipBridge — sign up today to ensure your remote employees’ safety and success during emergencies.