Oroville Dam disaster sparked the need to reach evacuated employees; Beekeeper came to the rescue

SAN FRANCISCO, CA SEPTEMBER 13, 2018 When Oroville Dam’s main and emergency spillways were damaged in February 2017, it prompted the evacuation of more than 180,000 people living downstream along the Feather River in Oroville, Calif. Among the evacuees were some of the 520 employees of the Feather Falls Casino, Lodge & Brewing Co. During this crisis, property managers, including Human Resources Director Rhonda Turner, had no way of communicating with staff – the majority of whom do not have a work email address. It was critical for management to determine if employees needed assistance, to explain the property’s attendance and absence policies, and to see who could work pre-scheduled shifts and who could not due to relocation.

To improve on the company’s crisis communication plan, Turner set out to find much-needed technology that engaged employees and allowed them to communicate during an emergency. In June 2018, Feather Falls Casino, Lodge & Brewing Co. implemented Beekeeper, the “Most Innovative Technology of 2018,” and the “People’s Choice” for engaging hospitality workers who don’t sit behind a desk and don’t have access to work email.

“There’s nothing like a natural disaster to expose communication flaws,” Turner said. “When this incident happened, we realized that we had no way of notifying our employees about what was happening. We couldn’t reach out to see if anyone needed help, if they had pets needing rescuing, or if they just needed a place to stay. All outlets, including the Casino, Lodge and Brewing Co., remained opened. Most of our employees don’t sit in front of a computer; they’re busy serving guests. While we have bulletin boards on the premises, we needed a more consistent and efficient way to reach the bulk of our employees in real time. It was an ineffective way to operate, and it left our employees feeling disconnected, especially those working the swing and graveyard shifts. We needed a fairer way to engage everyone, regardless of what shift they work.