No thanks to climate change, our weather has become more unpredictable before. Extreme heatwaves and heavy rain storms are now regular occurrences in various countries because of manmade climate change. According to a study published in Nature Climate Change, heat extremes that used to happen once in 1,00 days are now happening every 200 days. The same study showed that one in five extreme rains occurring globally are directly caused by the rise in global temperature.
It is thus not unusual to report to the office in the morning with the sun shining brightly, only to find out later in the afternoon that a thunderstorm has caused floods in the city. Employees who are in the office all day long may not have any idea what’s happening outside the workplace, and they would be caught surprised by the sudden downpour.
That’s why a lot of companies are investing in desktop weather alerts. This is a type of notification system that sends weather alerts straight into the desktop PCs of employees.
It is one effective way to warn employees about strong rains and winds that they may encounter when they go home from the office. In certain cases, it can also be used to notify employees about the weather and road conditions they would encounter on their way to the office.
While there are many other apps or programs that can display weather reports on the PCs of employees, the difference with desktop weather alerts is that the information is localized. This means the information is more precise compared to the reports displayed by other weather apps.
The following are some of the benefits of having desktop weather alerts rolled out in the workplace:
1. Ensure employee safety
There’s no denying that for most employers, the main reason why they invest in this type of program is to guarantee the safety of their employees. Hurricanes, thunderstorms and hailstorms can occur at any given moment, and employees need to be alerted of these weather disturbances. By informing their staffers about weather disturbances in real time, employers can minimize the risks of their employees being stranded by floods or worse, getting involved in an accident due to bad weather conditions.
Most advanced notification systems don’t only push alerts to desktop PCs. Others are capable of sending the weather alerts to the mobile devices of employees. Thus employees don’t need to be in the office to receive weather updates. It works best for workers who are out in the field, or are just heading to the office.
2. Increase employee engagement level
Sending of weather alerts is not only a way for a company to ensure the safety of its personnel. It’s also one way for a firm to increase employee engagement levels. When employees see that the company they are working for looks after their safety by reminding them to bring an umbrella or stay indoors due to inclement weather, they will feel more appreciated and valued.
3. Minimize operational disruptions
While a firm won’t be able to stop a hurricane that is headed towards its location, it can at least prepare for it. Managers, for instance, can re-assign tasks of employees who may not be able to report to work because of inclement weather. A skeletal work force may also be assigned to ensure that the unit will be able to critical functions despite the suspension of work. Or they can also re-schedule their activities, if the circumstances call for it.
Indeed, desktop weather alerts can have a huge impact on employee morale. Moreover it is an effective way of ensuring employee safety and minimizing operational disruptions.
