Adverse Weather and the Cloud: Maintaining a successful business come rain or shine

Getting to work in bad weather conditions can be a real chore, and often cause an increase in stress and lateness in the workplace. Laura discusses how the Cloud can help…

By Laura Rigby

I read an article this morning about an upcoming winter frost. Apparently, we are due the coldest winter in a long time, with temperatures plummeting to -11°C… brrr!

Whilst I’m definitely up for admiring a white winter from the warmth and comfort of my own home, I’m not looking forward to icy road conditions, traffic jams and the general struggles of getting to work. These sorts of problems can hugely disrupt small businesses, who rely heavily on their staff for operational continuity. Not to mention, it can also cause undue pressure and stress for the person affected.

With adverse weather comes increased lateness and absenteeism. Whether it’s travel conditions, childcare or generally feeling under the weather, there will naturally be some loss of revenue as a result – particularly if there are no contingency plans in place!

However, there is good news…

As more and more businesses become set up on the Cloud and with the vast majority of homes being connected to the Internet, we should expect to see a reduction in the effects that adverse weather has on businesses. For example, if I can’t get my car off my drive, I know I could complete a large proportion of my work from home – with the exception of payroll and client site visits.

What impact would office closure have on your business? Would you be able to continue to operate successfully or would you find yourself having to pay staff without any return on investment?

Cloud based systems are a great investment in terms of ensuring business continuity (by enabling employees to work from home), and for disaster prevention/recovery, as everything is filed electronically and backed up online.

Once on the Cloud, I recommend ensuring expectations are set and that all staff know what is required of them should weather conditions affect the ability to open site. A clear and concise Adverse Weather Policy will help with this and HR180 can certainly help you set this up and introduce it to your team.

Need an HR180 superhero? Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us on: 0113 287 8150.