This week, the Department for Work and Pensions admitted that its quarterly summary of unemployment and benefits statistics would not be appearing on Wednesday because of a bar on moving data around since the 25 million personal records went missing.

Meanwhile, some businesses destroyed in the Buncefield oil depot explosion two years ago are still waiting for compensation and fear they may go under through no fault of their own.

Disaster can strike at any moment and can take many forms: from terrorist threats to computer hacking, from the unexpected loss of key staff or key customers to prolonged problems with public transport.

Would your organisation survive if fire wiped out its headquarters or floods put it three feet under water? What if there was a flu pandemic? How would you go about mitigating the risk and putting plans in place to ensure the business survived?

IRS is currently researching the role played by HR departments in developing, and implementing, business continuity plans, including training provision and employee communication.

We would like you, as an HR practitioner, to take part in a short online survey.

In return, we will send you a copy of the survey report and findings when the project is complete in a couple of months time. The report will help you to benchmark your organisation's business continuity planning against other employers.

Take part in the survey.