February 13, 2024 Emergency Assistance Foundation and WBR Release Report

Results of the 2024 employer preparedness survey, executed by WBR Insights

WEST PALM BEACH — Emergency Assistance Foundation (EAF) — a U.S. non-profit providing companies with the administration of relief fund grants to eligible employees and team members worldwide — today announced results of its 2024 employer preparedness survey, executed by WBR Insights, the custom research division of Worldwide Business Research (WBR). Findings were released at EAF’s Granting Hope 2024: The Global Relief Fund Summit in Orlando, Florida.

Drawn from survey responses from 100 HR, people management and workforce leaders across the U.S. and Canada, among the report’s more noteworthy findings were the effect of climate change- contributing disasters — as well as companies’ overall awareness of unexpected personal hardships — as factors driving the overarching need for formal employee relief planning.

“Thanks to WBR Insights and its research methodology, not only did this report help reiterate what we already knew — which is that relief planning on a formal, companywide scale is imperative in our changing world — but it also helped provide context on barriers to entry for such programs,” said EAF President Douglas Stockham. “These findings help inform us about how we can better assist our partners and help stress the growing validity of the overarching need for employee relief funds as a company advantage. This is truly a ‘from-the-top-down’ issue for company leaders that will need addressing whether now or in the future.”

WBR Insights’ survey pool occupied roles in people management (31%), human resources (29%), employee experience (21%) and workforce management (19%). The respondents were C-suite executives (30%), vice presidents (24%), department heads (16%) and directors (30%) located within the U.S. and Canada.

The companies these respondents represented operate in a variety of industries, including retail (19%), healthcare (17%) and manufacturing (16%), among others. Companies varied in size, as measured by number of employees, with more than one-third of the respondents (37%) from companies with more than 10,000 employees — many of those across the globe.

Factors such as climate change, economic instability and global health crises are contributing to a rise in these challenges, making them an increasingly common aspect of the modern work environment. Most notably, survey respondents reported a marked increase in disasters and personal hardship occurrences in the past few years.

• Most respondents (59%) claim instances of employees being impacted by disasters or personal hardships have increased.
• 68% of those who are planning or interested in offering employees a relief fund say instances of employees being impacted have increased.
• Survey respondents reported the most common types of disasters impacting employees are storms and flooding (58%), as well as hurricanes or typhoons (56%).
• The most common types of personal hardships impacting employees were reported as serious illness or injury (69%) and death of an employee or loved one (53%).
• The most significant impacts caused by disasters and personal hardships are impacts on job performance (63%) and mental health and wellbeing (61%).

“With catastrophic events on the rise globally, disaster and hardship relief funds can provide direct financial assistance to those affected — and quickly,” said Stockham. “Ultimately, these funds become a safety net to help individuals and families keep moving forward.”

Climate change plays a crucial role in intensifying the frequency and severity of natural disasters. Warming temperatures, rising sea levels, and changing weather patterns are all contributing factors that lead to more extreme events, such as more intense storms, heatwaves and droughts and floods.

“73% of the more than 350 employer-sponsored relief funds we administer include natural disasters in the grant criteria,” said Stockham. “As the troubling trends presented in this new report make clear, companies should be thoughtful and intentional to prepare for a response when the next disaster occurs.”

Even with evidence of trends pointing toward the needs for relief planning, the report shows that 34% of respondents whose organizations currently don’t sponsor a disaster and hardship relief fund say they lack the budget or resources to support it, while 30% say senior leaders won’t sign off on it. Half of these organizations (48%), however, have plans to start offering disaster or personal hardship relief within the next two years.

“Overall, the survey results reveal a growing recognition of the importance of providing disaster and personal hardship relief to employees, and it is up to leadership to provide support and approval to those working to put such plans in place,” added Stockham. “The need has truly never been greater.”

EAF recently released its 2023 worldwide relief totals, announcing that it awarded more than $30 million in financial assistance to nearly 26,000 individuals and families around the world last year alone. These grants were supported by more than $43 million in received donations and represented contributions from sponsoring organizations – or EAF “Fund Partners” – as well as individual donations made by the Fund Partner’s employees, partners and/or the general public.

Since its inception, EAF has received more than $395 million in donations that have helped over 340,000 individuals and families with grants totaling upwards of $270 million. EAF currently administers more than 350 employer-sponsored relief funds — including such names as American Airlines, Experian, Mattress Firm, Synchrony and Quest Diagnostics®, among others — altogether serving more than 12 million employees across six continents.

As an independent third party, EAF administers all employer-sponsored relief fund activities – including accepting donations, objectively reviewing grant applications, and awarding and distributing grants – while also maintaining legal and regulatory compliance. Because EAF is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, public, non-profit organization, all grants and donations are tax-advantaged for those who are subject to U.S. IRS regulations.

Click here to view EAF’s full 2024 employer preparedness survey. For more information about EAF, or to inquire about establishing an employer-sponsored disaster and hardship relief fund, visit eafrelief.org/contact.

About Emergency Assistance Foundation
Emergency Assistance Foundation (EAF) partners with companies to help their employees and team members who are struggling through difficult times. Following an unexpected disaster or personal hardship, EAF’s employer-sponsored relief funds award grants that provide essential financial assistance on the path to recovery. As an independent third party, EAF administers all relief fund activities – including accepting donations, objectively reviewing grant applications, and awarding and distributing grants – while also maintaining legal and regulatory compliance. Through every disaster and hardship, EAF remains a fearless financial first responder, ensuring that monetary assistance reaches those in need as quickly as possible, no matter the location or obstacle. EAF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that currently administers more than 350 employer-sponsored disaster and hardship relief funds, altogether serving over 12 million employees across six continents. Since its inception, EAF has helped more than 340,000 individuals and families with grants totaling over $270 million. Learn more at eafrelief.org.

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