As Jamaica braces for Hurricane Melissa, employees with island roots need more than thoughts—they need solidarity. This article highlights what support can look like.
Category 5 Hurricane Melissa has landed in Jamaica, and the country is now bracing for impact. The hurricane is said to be the most powerful of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season with winds of 185 mph when the hurricane made landfall in Jamaica. Hurricane Melissa is expected to be the most powerful storm to hit Jamaica in recorded history. The hurricane is also expected to hit Haiti, the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas, and Turks and Caicos.
For many Jamaicans and those of Jamaican ancestry who are living outside of the island, this will be a very difficult time. Jamaican employees whose family members or friends are directly impacted by the storm will need our support in a multitude of ways. Jermaine L. Murray, who is of Jamaican heritage shared in a LinkedIn post, “If you have a Jamaican coworker, manager or friend and you notice them being distracted, give them space or identify how you can best support them.” Company leaders must recognize that employees are dealing with a lot right now and a natural disaster that could cause cataclysmic damage is another stressor to add to a growing list.
When asked about specific and tangible ways to support Jamaican employees, Murray shared, “I would say right now, tangible support for people of the Jamaican diaspora would be a lot of understanding and flexibility, loosening deadlines, cancelling non-essential meetings and if possible, letting people work asynchronously.
