I talked earlier in the week about how the festive period poses the biggest risk to your home all year.  However, it’s the same story at the office.

Millions of people close down the office on Christmas Eve, only to return two weeks later.  When else in the year does the average office shut down for so long?

Leaving the office alone for two weeks should be done with the same care you would give shutting up your house when you go abroad.  If you think about it, not only do you have valuables in your office too, but the intellectual property (including that belonging to your clients), filing and data you risk losing could even put you out of business.

Here’s a list of 10 things to consider before you pack up next week.  Will your office be safe till the New Year?  Now is the time to review your Office and Premises Insurance.

1. Does the burglar alarm link to the police station and are the alarms tested and working?
2. Do you double check that all your windows and doors have the right locks on to meet the requirements of your insurance policy?
3. Do you keep a hard record copy of the office insurance policy away from the office?
4. Do you check that the ashtrays outside are emptied safely before the holiday?
5. Have your clients got access to you if needed for an emergency over the break?
6. Are the central heating pipes lagged if they are in the loft?
7. Is your premises in a flood plain and if so do you have specialist flood insurance?  What precautions could you take before locking up and will anyone be responsible for checking the office over the holiday?
8. Do you take backups of your data either to the cloud or physically removed from the office?
9. Have you got cyber hacking benefit on your office insurance in case you get hacked, and how often are your firewalls updated?
10. Have you got Business Interruption policy allowing you to move into another office space to continue to keep the business open should you be a victim of flood or fire?

Running through these questions in your mind and making sure you are happy with your answers is a great start to a safe and secure Christmas Break.  If I can help with any concerns, I’m on 0800 690 6990.

Wishing you a great one,