In the event of a major crisis, UK business managers are more likely to rely on actions of their workforce rather than a detailed business continuity plan, research by BT Global Services has revealed.
The study showed that almost three-quarters of workers believed UK organisations rely on the dedication of their staff rather than detailed plans to get them through a disaster.
Furthermore, a lack of education on the subject is inherent - over a third did not know if their company had a business continuity plan and a further 41% said they either didn’t understand it or hadn’t taken the time to read it.
It seems that British workforces are only too happy to shoulder the burden of a major crisis. According to the research, 77% of employees said they would want to return to work as soon as possible after a disaster such as flooding, fire or IT failure. Moreover, 61% felt it was their responsibility to help get things up and running again in the event of a major crisis.
Workers in the financial services sector felt most responsible – 72% of finance workers felt a responsibility towards helping their companies get up and running again. In contrast, only 51% of retail, media and leisure workers felt the same.
While business continuity plans are not forefront of workers’ minds, they are conscious of the diversity of possible crises. The types of disaster people worry most about include a major technology failure, a virus or hacking attack, a major power or utility failure and the possibility of a natural disaster.
© Crimson Business Ltd. 2008
