{"id":46670,"date":"2017-11-05T07:00:38","date_gmt":"2017-11-05T12:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.virtualvocations.com\/blog\/?p=46670"},"modified":"2023-12-12T19:43:58","modified_gmt":"2023-12-13T00:43:58","slug":"telecommuting-natural-disasters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.virtualvocations.com\/blog\/telecommuting-survival\/telecommuting-natural-disasters\/","title":{"rendered":"Natural Disasters and Telecommuting: 7 Benefits for Remote Professionals"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Updated December 2023<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One Virtual Vocations team member describes how telecommuting eased her evacuation from Hurricane Irma and offers seven benefits of remote work during natural disasters.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

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Escaping Hurricane Irma: In My Own Words<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Arriving on the heels of Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma<\/a> was a devastating storm that took the lives of more than 50 people in the mainland U.S. and Caribbean as well as caused tens of billions of dollars in damage. My family, friends, and I were extremely worried as we tracked the storm in Miami. The uncertainty and potential danger sent the city into a panic with gas stations running out of fuel almost five days before the storm was scheduled to hit South Florida.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One friend had to make the terrible decision to leave work without permission from her supervisor because the company decided to stay open on the day she and her family planned to evacuate. I, too, had to decide how to handle this potentially lethal situation. With most of my family residing in North Carolina, I had been receiving multiple calls daily from relatives offering shelter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately, I decided it was best to prepare my house as much as possible and evacuate to North Carolina. Thankfully, a friend was traveling in the same direction so we decided to drive together, as the cost of plane tickets was becoming more and more outrageous by the hour. After nearly four hours spent searching for gas, we were able to refuel. Twenty hours later, we were safe in North Carolina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although it was a difficult decision to leave my home, as a remote worker, I was able to keep in constant communication with my team, let them know I was safe, and provide updates on the progress of my assignments. From the safety of my family\u2019s home, I was able to continue to work uninterrupted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Take some time to treat yourself kindly. You deserve it!<\/a><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n
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7 Benefits of Remote Work During Natural Disasters<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Working remotely offers peace of mind during tumultuous times. It means not missing days or weeks of pay due to a storm. It means the flexibility to pack up and leave before environmental conditions deteriorate, and without worrying about possible repercussions at work. And it means greater opportunity to protect the ones you love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Companies and professionals that have the option to begin operations again after a storm are fortunate. However, the impact of damage to power lines, flooding, and debris can impact safe travel and communication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remote work can and does lessen the burden of recovery. When teams have the ability to work from home as their cities are made safe again, a small amount of normalcy is reintroduced. Here are some of the benefits to remote work before, during, and after a natural disaster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1. Prepping for Remote Work During Natural Disasters<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When preparing for a disaster in a traditional office, much of the focus is on how to keep lines of communication open, when to close the office, and how to secure property and information. The same applies to remote work. However, there is greater flexibility and the ability for workers to prepare much sooner in the event of a disaster without causing the same level of disruption to business operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead of having to concentrate on a single source of power and connectivity, remote offices can consider several options to keep employees safe and work running as efficiently as possible. For example, if a storm is forecast to strike in four days or more, a company may allow employees to begin working from home sooner so that they can prepare generators or secure shelter in other cities or areas that will be safer and less impacted by power outages. If evacuations are issued the more time people have to reach safety, the better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a completely remote office, companies can focus on making sure each of their workers is safe and secure, providing options and more funds to assist in keeping everyone up and running instead of focusing on potential damage to the brick and mortar structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an individual working remotely, you can prepare your at home space for possible disaster by establishing your own emergency protocol:<\/p>\n\n\n