Archive for October, 2011
Disaster Recovery Tip #44: Stay Safe this Halloween
Trick or Treat!
Seeing as it is Halloween, we felt it was appropriate to take a break from the ordinary and talk about preparedness of another sort…preparing your ghouls and goblins for a safe night of trick-or-treating. By taking a few common sense measures, you can ensure a safe and happy Halloween for all. Happy Halloween!
Recommended Safety Tips From The CDC:
| S | Swords, knives, and similar costume accessories should be short, soft, and flexible. | |
| A | Avoid trick-or-treating alone. Walk in groups or with a trusted adult. | |
| F | Fasten reflective tape to costumes and bags to help drivers see you. | |
| E | Examine all treats for choking hazards and tampering before eating them. Limit the amount of treats you eat. | |
| H | Hold a flashlight while trick-or-treating to help you see and others see you. | |
| A | Always test make-up in a small area first. Remove it before bedtime to prevent skin and eye irritation. | |
| L | Look both ways before crossing the street. Use established crosswalks wherever possible. | |
| L | Lower your risk for serious eye injury by not wearing decorative contact lenses. | |
| O | Only walk on sidewalks or on the far edge of the road facing traffic to stay safe. | |
| W | Wear well-fitting masks, costumes, and shoes to avoid blocked vision, trips, and falls. | |
| E | Eat only factory-wrapped treats. Avoid eating homemade treats unless you know the cook well. | |
| E | Enter homes only if you’re with a trusted adult. Otherwise, stay outside. | |
| N | Never walk near lit candles or luminaries. Be sure to wear flame-resistant costumes. |
Contact
Mike Estey, Area Director at Agility Recovery Solutions
Telephone: (603) 660-2455
Fax: (800) 536-4237
Visit the Agility Recovery Solutions web site.
Disaster Recovery Tip #43: Influenza Preparedness Checklist – Protect Your Business
Fight the Flu
It’s hard to believe, but flu season is right around the corner. Officially, flu season doesn’t begin until November, but now is the time for your business to take steps to ensure your employees are protected.
Flu related absenteeism is a huge issue for business owners and can cost employers thousands of dollars in lost revenue and productivity. Below you will find a variety of steps you and your employees can take to help prevent the flu this season.
- Download Agility’s Influenza Preparedness Checklist designed to help employees and businesses take preventative action against the flu.
- Find a flu shot near you. Getting vaccinated is the single best way to avoid the flu.
Practice healthy habits and help stop the spread of germs. Click here for six simple ways to stay healthy and fight off the flu this season.
Contact
Mike Estey, Area Director at Agility Recovery Solutions
Telephone: (603) 660-2455
Fax: (800) 536-4237
Visit the Agility Recovery Solutions web site.
Free Webinar November 15, 2011 – High-Impact Parenting
Employee Assistance Plan
Click on the link for the November Work/Life message on “Sharing Your Home” from the Association–sponsored Employee Assistance Plan, AllOne Health Resources. The related webinar, “High-Impact Parenting” is scheduled on Tuesday, November 15, 2011, at 12:00 noon, 2:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m. EST. Instructions for accessing the webinar can be found here. We hope you and your employees find the information useful and interesting!
Contact:
Robert E. Messing
Director of Administration, Group Insurance Services
MassachusettsBankers Association
One Washington Mall, 8th Floor
Boston, Massachusetts 02108-2603
Tel. (617) 523-7595
AllOne Health Resources: FrontLine Employee Newsletter
Employee Assistance Program
- Investing in Workplace Relationships
- Every Employee Can Be a Leader
- October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month
- Turn on Productivity by Turning Off Distractions
- Boost Creativity with a Positive Mood
Contact:
Robert E. Messing
Director of Administration, Group Insurance Services
MassachusettsBankers Association
One Washington Mall, 8th Floor
Boston, Massachusetts 02108-2603
Tel. (617) 523-7595
Disaster Recovery Tip #42: Winter Weather Webinar
A Chilling Forecast
Winter is right around the corner and with it comes ice storms, blizzards and other cold weather threats. Preparing your organization before a winter storm hits can help you protect your employees, minimize damage and lead to a speedy recovery.
Don’t let a cold and snowy winter interrupt your ability to do business. Join us next Wednesday, October 26th at 2:00p.m. for a free webinar, “Preparing your Business for the Winter Weather Season”.
Help us in welcoming ImpactWeather’s StormWatch Manager, Fred Schmude as he shares the long range winter weather outlook for the 2011-2012 Season. Following Mr. Schmude’s detailed forecast, Agility’s Senior Continuity Manager, Mark Norton will provide you with tips and best practices to mitigate the risks associated with winter weather.
Contact
Mike Estey, Area Director at Agility Recovery Solutions
Telephone: (603) 660-2455
Fax: (800) 536-4237
Visit the Agility Recovery Solutions web site.
Disaster Recovery Tip #41: Tips on Surviving a Network Disruption
How Smart is Your Phone?
Millions of BlackBerry users around the world had their work, business and social lives severely affected this week after a server crash that disconnected smartphone users across the globe. The three-day outage interrupted email messages and Internet services for customers spanning five continents.
In today’s world of continuous communication, a network disruption can be detrimental to your business. Below are some simple tips to keep you and your employees connected during an outage. For more helpful tips, download Agility’s Crisis Communications Checklist.
- SMS Text Updates – Regardless of the severity of the interruption, it is important you have a way to notify employees, clients and stakeholders. SMS text messaging has proven to work even when other mobile functions are down. (Agility members, the Alert Notification tool is perfect for this.)
- Backup Contacts – Keep your contacts updated across all channels, including phone, email and social media. This will make it easy to reach out to the right people quickly.
- Have a Backup Email Provider – Keep a list of your key contacts in a separate web-based email system such as, Gmail, Yahoo Mail or myAgility. This will allow you to access your contacts and send updates from anywhere with an internet connection.
- Update Your Website – Know how to quickly update your website to address the situation. Consider having a pre-populated webpage that can be activated on short notice to provide information during an emergency.
- Follow-Up – Always inform your employees, stakeholders and clients when the outage has ended and steps you may be taking to prevent future interruptions.
Contact
Mike Estey, Area Director at Agility Recovery Solutions
Telephone: (603) 660-2455
Fax: (800) 536-4237
Visit the Agility Recovery Solutions web site.
Disaster Recovery Tip #40: The Steve Jobs Legacy: Technology’s Impact on Our Lives
Get Tech Ready
The world mourned the death of Apple co-founder, Steve Jobs this week. Apple fans worldwide held iPhone-lit vigils paying tribute to the man who made computers personal, put internet in our pockets and ultimately changed the way we do business.
Here at Agility, we understand the role technology plays in our day to day lives. We have seen first-hand how a technological disruption directly impacts the ability to do business.
Preparing and knowing how to adapt in the event of a business interruption can ensure connectivity before, during and after a disaster. Click here for some tips from Ready.gov on how to prepare your business and get tech ready.
Contact
Mike Estey, Area Director at Agility Recovery Solutions
Telephone: (603) 660-2455
Fax: (800) 536-4237
Visit the Agility Recovery Solutions web site.
Free Webinar October 27, 2011 – Bullying in the Workplace
Employee Assistance Program
We are pleased to provide the following link to the next program in AllOne Health Resources’ monthly Webinar series, entitled bullying in the workplace. AllOne Health Resources is the Association-sponsored Employee Assistance Plan (EAP), which supports and advises employees and their family members, as well as supervisors and co-workers.
Contact:
Robert E. Messing
Director of Administration, Group Insurance Services
MassachusettsBankers Association
One Washington Mall, 8th Floor
Boston, Massachusetts 02108-2603
Tel. (617) 523-7595
ABA Insurance Services SafeTalk for September 2011
Contact
Jason Faulkner, Account Executive
Telephone: (216) 220-1339
Visit the ABA Insurance Services, Inc. web site.
Disaster Recovery Tip #39: National Preparedness Month Resources
In Case You Missed It
As you may have heard, September was National Preparedness Month, a nationwide initiative designed to help Americans prepare for emergencies. This year marked Agility’s seventh consecutive year as a Coalition Member and our most successful year to-date.
All told, we had over 2,500 registrants for our webinar series and tremendous support from national partners including: The Small Business Administration, FEMA and The American Red Cross. We thank you for your continued support and help in making Agility’s 2011 National Preparedness Month a remarkable success.
If you missed out on any of our National Preparedness Month events, click here for a direct link to archived webinars, valuable tools and educational resources.
Contact
Mike Estey, Area Director at Agility Recovery Solutions
Telephone: (603) 660-2455
Fax: (800) 536-4237
Visit the Agility Recovery Solutions web site.
