CRISIS MANAGEMENT
CRISIS MANAGEMENT : PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST
BY : MARK MILLETT , HR MANAGER A . I . M . MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANIES
THE COVID-19 pandemic is impacting all of us , personally , professionally , or both . Lives , families , and businesses around the globe have been turned upside down by this deadly disease . Through it all , A . I . M . Mutual has been here for our brokers , policyholders , and injured workers . Our challenge is to continue to provide a workers ’ compensation experience that ensures peace of mind for all , namely our employees and stakeholders . It has been a team effort with great leadership , not only at the start of the outbreak but throughout as we work toward this new normal .
JANUARY TO FEBRUARY 2020 : PREPARATION
Back in January and February , there was a lot of uncertainty around the coronavirus . We knew COVID-19 was wreaking havoc in China and Europe . The consensus seemed to be that it would inevitably impact the United States , but no one knew the extent . So , HR and other leaders of our company stayed on top of updates from the CDC and other health organizations . What was this virus all about and how should we prepare for it ? What should we tell employees ? We started taking preliminary steps , such as ordering hand sanitizer for employees and stressing the importance of washing hands .
LATE FEBRUARY TO MARCH 17 , 2020 : BUSINESS CONTINUITY
As things started to escalate in late February and early March , we had to prepare for the worst . Our business continuity plan confirmed we had a lot of work to do . We already had some employees who worked remotely as part of normal business operations , but we needed to get more folks ready . Our IT department stepped up , spending extra hours purchasing laptops , setting them up , and meeting with employees to distribute them . Then came March 18th .
MARCH 18 TO MAY 2020 : STEPPING UP
We became aware of a potential exposure , so we closed the office and sent people home . Thankfully , it turned out that there was no exposure . Nonetheless , we kept everyone informed , letting them know a deep cleaning of the building would happen as planned . A limited number of employees returned to the office to
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