World facing worst migration crisis

At least 1 billion people will be forced from their homes between now and 2050 as the effects of climate change deepen an already burgeoning global migration crisis, predicts a new report by Christian Aid. Read more here: http://www.christian-aid.org.uk/news/media/pressrel/070514p.htm

Expect mass staff exodus in a disaster, says survey

Employers have been warned that 40% of their employees won’t be turning up for work if Avian Flu hits the UK, and the majority won’t be coming if there are rumours of an imminent terrorist attack, Computer Weekly reported recently.

These are the findings of a street survey conducted amongst 200 commuters at a number of London train stations.

The survey also found that only a quarter of those that decided to stay at home would be able to work remotely if their firm’s network was intact, mainly because of a lack of remote working facilities.

The fact that 40% would stay at home during an Avian Flu virus should not shock too many employers, as the recommendation from the government would be to contain the virus by reducing people’s movement.

But the lack of remote working facilities is something that employers should address, if their type of business could benefit from it. Some of those questioned may have worked in sectors such as retail though, which in most cases wouldn’t benefit from remote working.

The survey also found that a quarter of the people interviewed did not know who at work would inform them if a disaster had struck, and almost half of the respondents were not aware if their company had a business continuity plan in place.

‘Ostrich viewpoint’ checklist

Most business continuity managers are aware of the importance of protecting brands, but how do you determine how at-risk your brands are?
Here’s a 20 point check list that is designed to dispel the !It can’t happen to us’ mindset, more properly described as the Ostrich Viewpoint.

1. Brand attack: where the brand or image is knowingly attacked by others who might have a vested interest in the demise or decay of your business
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2. Price wars: where competition necessitates narrow profit margins that prove to be unsustainable without compromising other aspects of the product or service.

3. Brand confusion: where one brand is confused with another and suffers as a result of the confusion.

4. Slip of the tongue: where a casual or flippant remark in an unguarded moment leads to a derogatory story or a detrimental interpretation.

5. Health and safety issues: where the brand or image is likely to be associated with what are perceived to be harmful outcomes.

6. Quality issues: where doubts are cast on the suitability of the product or service or the value for money it represents

7. Legislation: can affect the brand or image in all sorts of ways. Infringements of existing legislation are one aspect and changes of legislation are another.

8. Trade barriers: where restrictions are imposed or removed. This may be a direct impact where a company’s products are subjected to changes or it an indirect impact where someone else’s products or services are subjected to changes.

9. Translation problems: often occur when a name, a phrase or a title has a rather unfortunate meaning in another language. They can also occur when the quality of the translation is poor and the meaning gets lost or distorted.

10. Transcription or transmission errors: those typographical errors that have the unfortunate effect of completely changing the meaning from something helpful to something rather inconvenient.

11. Economic variations: those local or international forces that may have serious financial consequences beyond our direct control. Often the brand can suffer as a result of the response to such variations.

12. Religious issues: where the product or service has a religious connotation. Sometimes this is intentional by the nature or design of a product or it may be purely accidental though incomplete knowledge of others’ beliefs.

13. Racial issues: those where the product or services has a racial connotation this would normally be purely accidental through lack of knowledge or it might occur through some change of fashion or custom.

14. Environmental issues: where the public, or sections of the public, have real or imagined concerns about the environmental impact of a product in its manufacture, distribution or its use.

15. Animal rights issues: where the public, or sections of the public, have real or imagined concerns about the impact on animal life. These issues are often concerned with research and development programmes which may, or may not, use animals for experimental purposes.

16. Human rights issues: where the public, or sections of the public, have real or imagined concerns about their rights or the rights of others.

17. Implication by association: where a company, its products or services are deemed to be in league with others who have a poor image some reason or another.

18. Forces of nature: where the destructive forces of nature have a detrimental effect on the way in which a company sources its materials, creates its products or delivers its services. In a long and complex supply chance there are often many opportunities for nature to interfere.

19. Personal issues: where the brand, or image, is liable to suffer simply because of its association with an individual who appears to have offended the public though his or her actions, words or beliefs.

20. Criminal acts: where someone closely associated with the brand or image appears to have committed a criminal act.

World facing water crisis

You drink it, wash in it and flush the toilet with it every day. But how much do you appreciate the finer points of the liquid that sustains life?

Try this quiz to test your knowledge of the uses - and diminishing supplies - of water around the world.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3747588.stm

These are horrible situations that most companies thankfully will never have to face. But for those who do, the ability to survive such a disaster will almost certainly depend on specialist crisis management.

This is what crisisguy (AKA David Perl, CEO of docleaf) loves to talk about. If your looking for an experienced speaker who has spoken globally about his exploits, then why not check out his new site at www.crisisguy.com.