September is the beginning of the hurricane season in earnest and aptly named National Disaster Preparedness Month — a timely reminder that while we can’t always prevent disasters, we can prepare for them. Growing up in Florida, I witnessed firsthand how hurricanes consume every aspect of life. The moment the first hurricane is called for the season, everything else takes a backseat to constant weather updates and emergency planning.

The questions become relentless. Do you stay or evacuate? Where will you find gas for your car and supplies for your home? What are your family, friends, and neighbors deciding? What last things can you do before the power goes out?

All of this unfolds while employees are still expected to navigate their regular work responsibilities — a nearly impossible balance when disaster is looming.

That’s where thoughtful employee support makes all the difference. Here at Global Impact, it’s my privilege to work with companies to create meaningful ways to engage and support their workforce during hard times through establishing Employee Assistance Funds (EAFs). Every hurricane season, I support employers looking to ensure that their employees feel valued, and yes, help equip staff to perform their best work.

The Role of EAFs
Beyond natural disasters like hurricanes, floods, and wildfires, employees also face unexpected hardships year-round, including medical emergencies, house fires, and personal crises. While traditional employee benefits help maintain everyday wellness, an EAF provides critical financial support when life’s unexpected challenges disrupt employees’ lives and the lives of their families.

I always emphasize to companies that the ripple effects of an EAF extend beyond individual employees. When companies support their workforces, community resources can focus their efforts on those with the greatest need, amplifying the overall disaster response effectiveness.

This National Disaster Preparedness Month, take the opportunity to evaluate how your company supports its employees. Are you ready to act when disaster strikes? Consider how an EAF could become an essential part of your workplace safety net.

EAF Basics
EAFs, also known as employee assistance programs or hardship funds, are established by companies to offer financial assistance to employees experiencing significant hardships. These funds are often activated in response to natural disasters but are equally important for helping employees navigate personal emergencies like a sudden illness, the death of a loved one, or domestic violence situations.

And EAFs offer more than just dollars; they provide dignity and hope. When employees receive help during a time of crisis, it reinforces that their employer cares about them not just as workers, but as people, which helps employee retention, engagement, and loyalty.

Disasters are on the rise. Is your workforce ready?
EAF requests are rising, both in number and urgency. Our recent benchmarking shows:

  • Natural disasters like hurricanes, floods, and wildfires consistently drive spikes in employee applications.
  • Personal hardships like medical emergencies and the death of a loved one are also common reasons employees seek support.
  • On average, in 2024, our clients provided approximately 1,250 grants to employees in need, with an average grant amount of $1,445, making a life-changing difference for those individuals.

Preparedness isn’t just about having the right plans in place — it’s about making sure employees can bounce back when those plans are tested. An EAF provides a flexible, rapid response tool that ensures help is available when the need is greatest.

What makes an EAF part of a disaster plan?
For many employers, disaster preparedness lives in operations and facilities teams. But the most resilient organizations prepare holistically — by considering the human impact of any crisis. That includes:

  • Financial safety nets for displaced or impacted employees
  • Clear communication around available resources
  • Equitable and confidential systems for requesting aid
  • Peer-to-peer support mechanisms, like allowing employees to contribute to the fund

When these systems are in place before a disaster strikes, recovery is faster and more compassionate. Employees who feel supported are more likely to stay, contribute, and refer others to your organization.

In fact, EAFs often evolve beyond disaster response into a cornerstone of employee well-being, corporate social responsibility, and culture building. Learn more about this in our free white paper, Driving Employee Engagement, featuring one of our EAF clients’ stories.

Getting Started
If your organization doesn’t yet have an Employee Assistance Fund, this month is the perfect time to start the conversation. Ask:

  • What types of crises have impacted our employees in recent years?
  • Do we have a system to provide emergency aid quickly and fairly?
  • Are we prepared to help during natural disasters, personal hardships, and global crises?
  • Who in our organization can champion an EAF initiative — HR, CSR, operations?

You can choose to manage a fund in-house or work with our team at Global Impact, which specializes in legal compliance, fund disbursement, and application management.

Looking for more information?