Disaster Assistance for Employees

When disaster strikes, there often seems to be nothing that employers can (or should?) do. A few straightforward ideas for assistance to employees in such situations include the following:  

• leave-sharing programs, such as a pool; 

• qualified (i.e., tax free) disaster payments for necessities (e.g., repair or living expenses, funerals or medical care, appliances, etc.);  

• qualified withdrawals from retirement plans or other such funds; and 

• assistance in obtaining federal, state or local governmental benefits.