HR’s Role in Disaster Recovery Planning

A Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP) is an essential management tool which helps a business recover from a disaster. DRP teams are selected carefully from various departments and it usually consists of senior personnel. The Human Resource department plays a crucial role in Disaster Recovery Planning.

Some of the HR functions with respect to the DRP are:

• Training staff on how to respond to an emergency as per the DRP.
• In countries prone to natural calamities, the HR may include families of staff in case evacuation becomes necessary. This will help ease staff worries.
• As per the DRP, the HR will train the staff on how to act in the event of an emergency
• HR will develop communication channels with all stakeholders, both internal and external and also with emergency services
• HR will handle all information related to the disaster as a single focal point to keep information accurate and focused
• Keeping track of all employees who are traveling outside the office
• Provide staff with suitable communication devices so that they can be in touch, even in the event of an emergency

These are some of the activities the HR will be tasked with on an ongoing basis. Once a disaster strikes, and the DRP is activated, they will assume the role assigned to them such as:

• Act as per role assigned in DRP
• Give emotional and other support to staff and their families
• Keep the channels of communications to all stakeholders and emergency services open
• Act in the interest of staff safety and welfare
• Keep track of all staff, on and off site

HR plays a crucial role when a DRP is prepared and also during and after a disaster.

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