In the U.S., 82%* of workers say they were impacted by a weather-related disruption at work in the past year. Nearly one in three report being unable to work during recent extreme weather events due to power outages or building closures. And 43%* of employees say their employer's extreme weather readiness influences whether they stay long term, making this a retention issue as much as a safety one.

Yet in a recent HRCI poll, 41% of HR professionals (HRCI Alchemizing HR poll, 2025) said extreme weather is not a top priority for their organization. 

David Leathers, director of HAA's Extreme Weather + Work initiative, makes the case that HR should lead on climate readiness in a new HRCI article titled, "From Heat Waves to Hurricanes: What HR Leaders Need to Know About Extreme Weather. Leathers writes that HR leaders are best positioned to take action, and that many of the most effective first steps are already within reach, from auditing and communicating existing benefits to clarifying remote work policies before the next disruption hits.

For organizations ready to go further, Leathers outlines longer-term moves: expanding telehealth access, building dedicated extreme-weather leave policies, and using employee location data alongside NOAA and FEMA risk maps to identify the most exposed workers.

Read the full piece at HRCI to learn how your organization can start building a more weather-ready workforce strategy.

*Data from Switch 5/Northwind Climate National Workforce Survey, commissioned by the National Commission on Climate and Workforce Health, March 2026.

Extreme Weather + Work is an initiative of the Health Action Alliance. We bring together leaders who rarely sit in the same room and connect them with peers across industries, giving them the research and tools they need to support their people before, during, and after extreme weather.