‍By Steven Levine, CEO of the Health Action Alliance, and David Leathers, Director of Extreme Weather + Work

In January, a winter storm and Arctic cold wave swept from New Mexico to Maine. More than a million people lost power. Schools and businesses shuttered across 20 states. At least 173 people died — many of them workers, many of them outdoors, many of them without a plan.

In February, the Blizzard of 2026 buried the Northeast under 1 to 3 feet of snow. New York City recorded nearly 20 inches in Central Park. Blizzard warnings were issued from Delaware to Connecticut for the first time in nearly a decade. States of emergency were declared across the region.

And this week, a severe storm system spanning more than 1,000 miles tore through communities from Texas to Iowa, bringing tornadoes, large hail, damaging winds, and flash flooding.

Three months into 2026, and this is already the pattern. Extreme weather events are not occasional disruptions; they are a persistent operating condition for American employers and the people who work for them.

This is why we are launching Extreme Weather + Work.

The Gap Between Risk and Readiness

For the past two years, the Health Action Alliance — the nation's largest employer network advancing public health — has convened business, health, and climate leaders through the National Commission on Climate and Workforce Health to understand this challenge. What we heard changed our approach.

We heard that 76% of employers say extreme weather has already affected their workforce. We heard that only 4% have assessed which workers are most vulnerable. Recent national research confirms the scale: Roughly 8 in 10 workers now report experiencing at least one climate-related disruption at work.* And we heard, consistently, that the leaders closest to these risks — in HR, benefits, safety, risk, and operations — are looking for practical guidance, not more reports about why the problem exists.

So we built something for them.

Extreme Weather + Work is a new initiative that helps employers understand the growing impact of extreme weather on their workforce and build coordinated plans to respond. Through role-specific guidance, peer learning, and a growing coalition of employers, we're defining what leading companies can do and supporting them in doing it.

The Ripple Effects of Extreme Weather

The scope of this challenge goes well beyond outdoor workers and natural disasters; extreme weather affects everything that affects work.

When extreme weather closes schools, parents — especially frontline workers — lose a day of income they can't afford to miss. When storms damage homes, employees carry financial stress that shows up in absenteeism, health care costs, and turnover. When air quality deteriorates, entire workforces are affected, including in ways they may not realize, such as delayed cognitive function. When chronic disruption takes a toll on mental health, it erodes the performance and retention that every business depends on. More than 6 in 10 workers say extreme weather has already reduced their productivity.*

These aren't hypothetical scenarios. They are happening now, in every region of the country, and they are coming faster than most organizations are currently prepared to handle.

The window to get ahead of this is closing. Federal programs and agencies that communities have relied on to keep them safe during and after weather emergencies face an uncertain future. The employers who invest in preparedness now will be better positioned to protect their people, contain costs, and maintain business continuity when the next event hits. And as 2026 has already shown us, the next event is never far away.

Expertise Meets Experience

Extreme Weather + Work is built around the reality that no single employer can solve this alone. Instead, members share what's working, build on each other's plans, and move faster together. Our founding members include leading employers and industry partners across a wide range of sectors.

The initiative is guided by the National Commission on Climate and Workforce Health, a board of experts spanning business, health, climate, and policy. Co-chaired by former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and Mercer U.S. and Canada President Susan Potter, the Commission advises on strategy, research, and employer-facing programs.

The Commission brings the expertise. The Extreme Weather + Work community brings the experience. Together, they're building the playbook.

Here's how to get involved:

If your organization is already navigating these challenges — or wants to get ahead of them — now is the time to act. Sign up for the Extreme Weather + Work newsletter for tools, research, and invitations to our employer network. For organizations ready to go deeper, we're welcoming founding members into a peer learning community designed to help leaders across sectors understand and lead on this issue.

Every employer needs a plan to support workers through extreme weather. We're here to help you build one.

*Northwind Climate national workforce survey, 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.