How Do Weather Disruptions Impact Workforce Productivity?

As climate events increase in frequency and intensity, they become more than environmental concerns—they become workforce issues. In this episode of Work Week, Dr. Gabby Burlacu of The Upwork Research Institute explores how weather-related disruptions are costing U.S. businesses billions in lost productivity each year, along with what leaders can do to build climate resilience. Learn how mental health and remote work infrastructure factor into your strategy, and what steps you can take today to future-proof your workforce while supporting employees. Whether you're an executive, HR leader, team manager, or front-line worker, this episode will help you navigate the rising climate risks impacting the future of work.

Episode Transcript

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(00:04):
- Hello and welcome to "Work Week,"
the podcast where weanswer one big question
about the future of work,
discuss what the researchsays about the issue,
and explain what it all means for you.
I'm Dr. Gabby Burlacu,
senior manager at theUpwork Research Institute.
What you're hearing is adigital proxy of my voice
created by our team with the help of AI.
Today's episode centers on a question

(00:25):
that studies show has beenoverlooked in many boardrooms,
but urgently deserves attention.
How much productivityare businesses losing
to weather disruptions andwhat can be done about it?
Let's set the scene.
It's the height of summer.
On the coast, hurricaneseason is at its peak.
Farther inland, the dryseason has created a risk
of wildfires.

(00:46):
And across the country,
areas are under extreme heat warnings.
These weather disruptions
are more than meteorological issues.
They are workforce issues.
The Upwork Research Institute'sFuture Workforce Index
found that in the 12months prior to the survey,
45% of workers had to callout due to a weather event.
The research which features insights

(01:06):
from 3000 knowledgeworkers also found that 5%
missed a week or more of work.
Data from the AtlantaCouncil shows that in 2020,
the US economy lost $100billion in productivity
from heat exposure alone.
This annual cost is expectedto soar to $500 billion
by 2050.
That's half a trilliondollars lost each year,

(01:29):
not from poor performanceor economic downturn,
but from climate-relatedworkplace constraints.
And this half a trilliondollar loss is only
from heat exposure.
It doesn't include the physical costs
and loss productivity relatedto hurricanes, wildfires,
tornadoes, snow and ice storms,or other natural disasters.
Despite the significant risksposed by weather disruption,

(01:52):
few companies are prepared.
A survey conducted by S&PGlobal of nearly 8,000 companies
found that only 35% had a plan in place
to adapt to the physicalimpacts of weather disruption.
Let that sink in.
Barely one in three companieshave a formalized plan.
This means the majority are likely relying
on post-hoc reactive responses,

(02:13):
which often lead to moresignificant financial impacts
and lost productivity.
For example, a business withouta plan to minimize the risks
of a significant weather eventcould experience a closure
of a week or more.
While a company with aproactive plan may only lose
a single day of business.
But more than this,
how you plan for weather events
can affect not only people's careers,

(02:35):
but also their health and wellbeing.
For example, if roads areaffected by conditions
such as flooding, ice, or storm debris,
how will your workers know
whether they're expected to drive to work?
If your answer to thatquestion is that they can call,
do you have a contingency planif cellular coverage drops?
Which happens often duringextreme weather events.
Because of these risks toboth health and livelihood,

(02:57):
weather disruptions take apsychological toll on workers.
In a global survey publishedby the Lancet Planetary Health
of nearly 16,000 individualsages 16 through 25,
a staggering 85% said they areat least moderately worried
about climate change.
The increase in disruptive weather events
with over half reporting itaffects their mental health

(03:17):
and daily lives.
Consider what this doesto focus, engagement,
and resilience at work.
For managers and business decision makers,
the question is no longer whether climate
is impacting your workforce,
it's how much and how fast you can adapt.
Let's consider the impactof weather disruption
with a couple of scenarios.
Imagine a mid-sized tech company in Tampa.

(03:39):
A hurricane warning is issued.
There are no evacuation orders,
but the risk of damage tolocal infrastructure is high.
Does this company close theoffice early, cancel meetings,
move work online?
How do they communicate with workers
who are expected to come in later?
Do they have a process in place
to ensure employee contactinformation is up to date?

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If the company lacks a formalweather resilience plan,
every hour is a scramble,
costing precious time, productivity,
and employee trust.
Or think of a warehouse team in Phoenix
working under triple digit temperatures.
Without adaptive scheduling,
hydration breaks, or cooling strategies,
burnout and absenteeismare likely to skyrocket.

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Examples like these aren't hypothetical
and are becoming more common.
For many organizations,
the daily struggles withchallenges like inflation
and skill gaps are paramount,
and action plans to address weather events
aren't high on the list of priorities.
But our data suggests it should be.
Weather related disruptionsare real threats.
So what can companies do

(04:41):
to build resilience and improve safety?
Consider implementing these steps.
First, map workforce risk.
Use geographic seasonaland operational data
to identify hotspots.
Where are your most vulnerable teams?
How often do those regionsexperience disruption?
What roles are most impacted?
This kind of audit enables you to create
targeted cost-effective contingency plans

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such as a communication strategy,
distributed backups ortemps for critical roles,
and training staff in different regions
to ensure continuity.
The goal is to have agile playbooks ready
before the storm hits.
Second, adopt a flexiblehybrid or remote first model.
While not all companies orroles can work remotely,

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if remote work is possible,
flexible work structures areyour first line of defense.
Empowering your people to workfrom home or anywhere safe
prioritizes their wellbeingin the event of an emergency
and enables them to continue working
during severe weather events
that impact your physical workplace.
Also, consider offeringflexible scheduling.

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If team members are located in a region
going through a heat wave,
they may want to startand end their workday
a few hours earlier
rather than working inthe peak heat of the day.
Third, build a distributed team.
One the benefits of remote work
is that you can hire qualified workers
from outside your organization'sgeographic region.
By hiring team membersfrom across the country

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or around the world,
you can ensure work continues
when one region isimpacted by severe weather.
Fourth, implement remotework infrastructure.
In addition to offeringflexible remote work,
implementing the right infrastructure
can help drive productivity,mitigate security risks,
and help your organization better adapt
to weather disruption.

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Ensure every team, regardless of location,
can stay connected and operational
on secure company approveddevices and systems
when office-based work becomeschallenging or impossible.
Cloud-based tools, mobile first apps,
and cybersecurity investmentsare more than IT upgrades.
They're climate readiness essentials.
Fifth, but perhaps most important,

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strengthen mental health resources.
As the research we discussed earlier
from the Lancet Planetary Health shows,
concerns about severe weather
can have a significantimpact on mental health.
If employees are grapplingwith anxiety, displacement,
or grief,
their ability to stayengaged and productive
naturally suffers.
Offer climate aware mental health support,

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whether through youremployee assistance program,
internal coaching, orthird party partners,
also demonstrate empathy
by offering time off, flexibility,
and direct support whenemployees are unable to work
due to climate-related events.
When workers feel seen, supported,
and given the space toprioritize wellbeing,
it builds trust, loyalty,and long-term engagement.

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In addition to developingproactive strategies
to adapt to weather-relatedwork disruption,
implementing sustainable practices
can help your organizationmake positive contributions
toward addressing weather events.
For example, you may investin green infrastructure
for your office orreduce energy consumption
across your supply chain.
Also, consider addingnew roles to your team

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focused on sustainabilityand climate risk.
Research from Lightcastpredicts that green jobs
will make up 14% ofthe US economy by 2030.
Additionally, Upwork platform data shows
that green freelance jobs,
those requiring sustainability expertise,
increased by 500% between 2019 and 2023.

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Whether through implementingclimate adaptation plans
or adopting more sustainable practices,
organizations are facingincreasing pressure from employees
to be more proactive aboutaddressing climate risks.
A Zurich insurance andeconomist impact survey
of 5,000 individuals foundthat 58% of respondents
believe companies aren't doing enough
on climate adaptation,

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even though 28% think businesses
should be leading the charge.
What does this mean for your brand,
your talent retention, andyour employer reputation?
Employees, especially youngergenerations are watching.
They wanna know if theiremployer has their back
when the next climate emergency hits.
Business leaders arestanding at a crossroads.

(08:55):
The old model, fixedschedules, centralized offices,
rigid planning wasn't built for a world
of escalating climate risk,
but what if businesses use this moment
to reimagine rather than react?
What if climate resiliencecould also be a lever
for talent attraction,operational flexibility,
and long-term sustainability?
What if organizations shiftedfrom disruption management

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to proactive transformation?
The reality is climate disruptionisn't an occasional event.
It's a new baseline.
And the most resilient companies
will be those that treat it as such.
Building adaptable workmodels that protect people
and performance.
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As we always do,
let's end the episode with an action step

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you can implement immediately,
and a reflection question to consider.
If your organization
doesn't yet have a climateresilient work strategy,
start with one small step.
Conduct a climate risk auditof your workforce locations.
Where are the weather vulnerabilities?
What roles are least adaptable?
Use this insight to begina broader conversation
with your leadership team.

(09:59):
And if you do have a plan,
now is the time to stress test it.
Pick one climate scenario,
say a two day blackout in a key region,
and model your response.
What gaps emerge?
Where can you improve?
If you're a freelancer or employee,
start thinking about your own plan
to address weather-relatedwork disruption.
Do you have a backup locationto work if your office

(10:21):
or home is evacuated or loses power?
Remember, the goal isn'tperfection, it's progress.
And climate adaptation strategiesshould be living documents
that develop with time
as the risk of weatherdisruption continues to increase.
Here's a reflection question
to carry you through the week.
In the face of escalatingclimate disruption,
how can you strike the right balance

(10:41):
between maintaining business continuity
and genuinely supporting thewellbeing of your employees?
You have the power to lead that change.
One thoughtful policy,one empowered employee,
one flexible work model at a time.
That's it for this episode of "Work Week."
I'm Gabby Burlacu,
and if you found today'sdiscussion useful,
share it with a colleague andsubscribe for more insights

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on how to navigate the future of work
with clarity and confidence.
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