Critical business records should be backed up by one or more methods
(e.g. second print copy plus and electronic version or cloud) with at least one version stored off-site. To help determine whether a document or record is critical, consider the following questions:

• Is the record required for business success?
• Is it required for legal reasons?
• Is it required by a regulatory agency?
• Is it required to support recovery efforts?

If you have employees, payroll continuity is an extremely important consideration, especially if you are dealing with a widespread emergency. Providing this continuity would assist with disaster-related problems at home and meet their personal financial obligations. You may want to establish a farm business policy for:

• Direct deposit of pay cheques for all employees;
• Overtime pay during an emergency; and
• One week’s pay or other amount even if your business is not operational.