Article
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Employer Preparedness for Disasters: A Survey of Human Resource Managers’ Perceptions
Version 1
: Received: 11 January 2021 / Approved: 13 January 2021 / Online: 13 January 2021 (12:10:45 CET)
How to cite: Roelofs, C. Employer Preparedness for Disasters: A Survey of Human Resource Managers’ Perceptions. Preprints 2021, 2021010242. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202101.0242.v1 Roelofs, C. Employer Preparedness for Disasters: A Survey of Human Resource Managers’ Perceptions. Preprints 2021, 2021010242. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202101.0242.v1
Abstract
Objectives: Our objective was to assess employer preparedness to protect their employees’ health and safety and promote their well-being in the face of potential disasters in a sample of Northeast United States employers. We developed survey instrument and index based on our model of Total Worker Health® (TWH) Employer Preparedness.Methods: We conducted a 40-question on-line survey with the membership of the Northeast Human Resources Association (US). Human resource managers reported their perceptions of their employers’ preparedness in seven domains: planning, human resources policies, hazard reduction, training, staffing, communications, and resources for resilience. Respondents were categorized by size, sector and reach and their responses scored.Results: Seventy-six individuals representing a diverse group of employers responded to the survey. Mean preparedness was “moderate,” with almost an equal number reporting a high level of preparedness as no preparedness. Employers were most prepared for severe weather events and least prepared for acts of violence. There were no significant differences by sector, size, or reach, although the healthcare sector was more prepared than others.Conclusions: There is a range of TWH® Employer Preparedness among Northeast US employers. The survey and model are important tools that can aid employers in the face of growing threats to “business as usual.”
Keywords
employer preparedness; health and safety; emergencies and disasters; planning; total worker health; human resources
Subject
Social Sciences, Safety Research
Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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