Disaster
Continued from page 35
PF Houston Uses Four-Phase Plan
When Dealing With Disasters
Picking up the Pieces
During and after a storm, there is plenty a franchise group
can do to help the community overcome any tragedies and get
back to normal. For most franchisees, this starts with taking care of
their own. Before a club can be staffed and open to aid the public,
employees must first be safe and able to work.
“The most difficult challenge after the storm is staffing the
clubs where employees have been displaced,” said Sanders. “In the
future and with adequate notice, we may move key employees and
their families to safer ground.”
Not only will this help keep employees out of harm’s way, it
also mitigates loss of communication throughout the storm.
“It’s all about getting back to normal,
and the gym can provide that
escape.”
PF Houston has seen its share of unwelcomed
weather events. Over time, the company has put together
a four-phase plan centered on establishing a communica-
tion pipeline with employees, members and key vendors.
Prepare – Physically secure the clubs, give
employees adequate time to get home, and notify
members.
Assess – Periodically account for employees’ well-
being, and safely assess the damage to the facilities.
Relief – Provide assistance to employees and
members.
Recovery – Open the club as soon as reasonably
possible, repair damage, and file insurance claims as
necessary.
– Joseph Pilotte
operations manager for Anchor Management Group
36
“Following Hurricane Matthew, we realized the importance of
truly helping our staff members during these scenarios. Most of our
staff members are not very well off financially and don’t necessarily
have the funds to purchase gas for an evacuation or a hotel, should
the need for them to leave town arise,” said Pilotte. “Also, missing
work even for a couple of days is a giant hit to their quality of life.
As a company, for both Hurricane Matthew and Hurricane Irma,
our owner, Alex Choquette, gave us the go-ahead to maintain all
staff pay just as if they were working. We also provided services to
them such as helping them find a place to evacuate to, book hotels
or reserve an Airbnb.”
Sunshine Fitness Management and PF Houston also make
efforts to compensate employees for lost shifts during a disaster.
The recently created PFIFA Disaster Relief Fund can help fund
employee recovery efforts, and Anchor Management notes that its
payroll vendor, Paychex, also has an employee assistance program.
“Having these options for employees is a critical part of our
procedures. Once we are up and running, the care for the commu-
nity aspect kicks in. We open up to anyone in need of a hot shower
and offer a Hydromassage to our members to help them get back
to nor