In the Best Money Moves Roundup, we run down the latest news on traumatic incidents in the workplace, pet perks, and payday advances.

Employees need support and guidance after traumatic events – like the sudden loss of a colleague or a natural disaster – but only 26 percent of workers are getting it.

Most employees surveyed by Workplace Options (WPO) have worked for an organization that experienced a traumatic event. More than half of them said that a disaster recovery plan (DRP) or business continuity plan (BCP) wasn’t in place to help employees affected by the event – or if there was nobody told them about it.

DRP’s are a valuable benefit for nearly 70 percent of employees and should be a priority for  employers. It’s estimated that less than half of employers have a DRP or BCP plan in place, but they’re critical for dealing with disasters.

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What we’re reading:

Office pet perks? Corporations are starting to bring in pets for occasional office visits to reduce employee stress, Amazon even allows employees to bring their dogs to work daily. Learn about the psychological benefits of pet perks.

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Wellness initiatives lower diabetes. New research found that those who tested as diabetic or prediabetic had normal blood levels after participating in an employer-sponsored wellness program. Combat rising healthcare costs.

Exits are opportunities in disguise. Whether you collect information from a departing employee through an interview or survey, it’s important that you obtain their feedback. Mitigate future turnover risks and costs.

Empathy is key. Employees would be willing to leave their job for a more empathetic employer, so respect is still crucial for job satisfaction. Find out what the C.A.R.E. model is and how it can help employers be more empathetic.

Discover joins tuition trend. Degree assistance has been a hot employee benefit this summer and Discover plans to join in by offering the majority of employees (even new hires) full rides for bachelor’s degrees at several schools. More on this developing benefit.

Your employees need more than a vacation. Stress dissipates on vacation, but for most employees it comes back in full force the second they get back to work. How to address the larger problem.

Have something to add? Email info@bestmoneymoves.com.

Employees need support and guidance after traumatic events – like the sudden loss of a colleague or a natural disaster – but only 26 percent of workers are getting it.

Most employees surveyed by Workplace Options (WPO) have worked for an organization that experienced a traumatic event. More than half of them said that a disaster recovery plan (DRP) or business continuity plan (BCP) wasn’t in place to help employees affected by the event – or if there was nobody told them about it.

DRP’s are a valuable benefit for nearly 70 percent of employees and should be a priority for  employers. It’s estimated that less than half of employers have a DRP or BCP plan in place, but they’re critical for dealing with disasters.

Dean Debnam, chief executive officer at WPO, said, “Preparing for a potential traumatic event, and providing proper services for your employees if one should ever occur is hugely important to the resilience of your organization.” It’s true, between 40 to 60 percent of companies without a DRP or BCP never reopen after facing a disaster and a whopping 75 percent fail within three years, according to research from Open Access BPO.

These numbers might refer specifically to large scale natural disasters, but less extreme traumatic incidents take a toll on business too. Debnam said, “Providing education to managers and employees on available benefits leads to less risk of absenteeism and presenteeism of affected employees.”

Natural disasters, layoffs, workplace violence and sudden deaths are most emotionally stressful and traumatic for employees. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) estimates nearly 2 million American workers are victims of workplace violence each year, and that’s only counting reported incidents. There were over 19.9 million layoffs in 2016, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Natural disasters are traumatic for the entire community. The claims process for insurable losses can be consuming and without a DRP or BCP in place employees who need assistance recovering might not get it.

It’s critical to have the right plan in place to maintain strong leadership when facing the unthinkable. Review and develop a disaster recovery plan or business continuity plan to make sure it addresses these four traumatic incidents that affect your employees most to bounce back productively while retaining top talent.