Introduction
When a workplace trauma occurs, everyone from the support staff to the CEO looks to human resource managers for leadership and guidance. Under crisis conditions, you’re in the hot seat for providing the psychological support and resources to help your organization come to grips with the traumatic event. This guide is intended to provide you with information about the EAP Workplace Trauma Benefits available to you and your employees. It also outlines best practices to consider should a trauma occur.
Employee Reactions to Trauma
Work trauma is the human response to a variety of unsettling events that affect one or more of your employees. It may occur in the wake of natural or man-made disasters, acts of violence, on-the-job accidents or the death of a co-worker. Responses will vary from employee to employee based on personality variables and the individual connection to the traumatic event. Several steps should be considered:
- Employees who were directly involved in or observed a traumatic event first hand should be immediately taken aside to assess their response and their level of trauma. You may want to call the EAP for a consultation.
- Watch for any extraordinary reactions and be prepared to send an employee to the local emergency room if they exhibit unusual distress. Some examples of symptoms to watch for include: reports of chest pain, breathing difficulty or inability to stop crying. Reported “anxiety attacks” should be watched closely – you may want the ER to rule out another serious underlying condition, such as a heart attack.
- Some employees may want privacy when calling the EAP; be prepared to make a private room available.
- As a last resort, you may need to make decisions about sending some employees home for the day if they are unable to perform their job duties. Review your company policy and handle accordingly.
For many employees, the initial response to a workplace trauma or death is shock. Employees will be heard recounting events and voicing their disbelief to each other. This conversation is part of a normal, informal defusing process. It is a healthy response to the traumatic event and evidence that your employees are building the ongoing support network they need in order to process and recover in the days and weeks to come.
Supervisors and the management team should be aware that industrial accidents or assaults in the workplace can sometimes provoke an anti-management response from employees. Often when tragedy occurs, the human response is to look for a cause or a place to lay blame. Such a response is more likely if there has been a history of unresolved or poorly handled employee relations issues. Any existing mistrust can be exacerbated by post-accident emotions. Anger, rumors and negativity can follow. Educating front line supervisors about what to expect and how to handle this kind of reaction is important so that they feel supported and know how to respond appropriately. Speaking with your corporate attorney about making a statement to the employees may be necessary if rumors do not desist quickly.
Immediate Resources
Both employees and the employer benefit when HR takes immediate steps to address a traumatic workplace event. Immediately in the wake of a trauma, you should remind employees of their EAP benefits. EAP Counselors are available toll free 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Some employees may want privacy when contacting the EAP so be prepared to provide a private room. If you have a concern that the call will be made, initiate the call and introduce yourself and the employee, and then leave the room to give the employee privacy.
The EAP Website (www.theEAP.com) offers a selection of useful articles that you can quickly access to either e-blast or print and distribute to your employees soon after the event. You should also remind employees that they can also access a variety of useful articles on their own at the EAP Website. A sampling of articles include: Coping With a Traumatic Event, Managing the Loss of a Co-Worker, How Do You Cope With a Major Loss?, Help For When You Are Grieving, Coping With Loss, and Post-Trauma Debriefing Coping Suggestions.
Onsite Trauma Response
Onsite Trauma Response (sometimes called Critical Incident Stress Debriefing) is designed to assist employers that have experienced a major traumatic workplace event. There are many workplace scenarios that qualify for onsite Trauma Response. The most common events include workplace accidents resulting in severe injury or loss of life and onsite acts of violence, such as robbery or assault.
In a Trauma Response, we send a trained clinician to the work site to provide a group debriefing. The purpose of the debriefing is to help employees understand and process the trauma, to normalize symptoms, and to increase coping skills. It is not a psychotherapy group. A number of studies have been conducted regarding Trauma Response, and some studies question the value of such a tool. We believe that when done correctly, Trauma Response can be very beneficial in helping an organization to process the event. A Trauma Response should occur no sooner than 24 hours after the event has occurred. Research indicates Trauma Response is most beneficial when employees have had time to absorb what has occurred and have moved out of the initial “shock” phase.
When to Request a Trauma Response
Generally, participation in Trauma Response should be voluntary. Supervisors and HR staff should talk with employees to determine the level of interest in participation. While some encouragement may be in order, including employees against their wishes can inhibit those who want to attend from opening up and often results in a general lack of participation. In some instances, employers may choose to mandate participation by employees who witnessed a highly traumatic event, such as a horrific accident or an armed robbery.
Scheduling a Trauma Response simply requires a brief call to the EAP. Be prepared to suggest available dates and times. Your EAP Counselor will need your contact information and title to verify that you are the correct person to authorize the EAP services. Even if your EAP contractual coverage does not include this service or if you have exhausted your contractual level of services, we can still provide Trauma Response at an hourly rate.
During your call, your EAP Counselor will need to obtain factual information related to the incident: what happened, when did it occur, who witnessed the event, where are any employees who were involved in the event, how are they doing, and who is with them?. If a person was killed or injured, what is their name?. Once the facts and administrative issues are determined, the EAP counselor will identify a Trauma Response Provider. This person may or may not be the EAP counselor you initially spoke with. He or she will contact you with specific details about the Trauma response plans.
Many HR managers find this call to the EAP invaluable. In addition to making arrangements for Trauma Response, it is an opportunity for us to provide you with emotional support and guidance in your organizational efforts. We encourage you to call us for support regardless of whether a Trauma Response is in order.
How to Plan and What to Expect from the Trauma Response
To conduct an effective Trauma Response, we will need a private room, preferably one that is large enough for employees to sit in a circle. Tissues should be readily available, as well as access to drinking water, if possible. The Trauma Response Provider will arrive approximately 15 minutes early in order to meet briefly with you or whomever you have designated as the organizational representative.
A Trauma Response session typically lasts one hour and is a time for group process. Employees will be reminded of their EAP benefits. After the session, the Trauma Response Provider will remain onsite to be available for anyone who would like to meet individually. Within a few days of this session, your EAP Counselor will follow up to get your feedback about the Trauma Response and an update on how your employees are doing.
Non-Traditional Trauma Response
Some employers have a need for an onsite response but, for various reasons related to the nature of the business, cannot have a group of employees participating together. In such cases, we will talk with you about the possibility of having two smaller groups or a room set aside for one-on-one employee sessions with the Trauma Response Provider. Since there is value in the group interaction, the latter method is recommended only when business necessity eliminates any possibility for a group session.
Questions?
Please feel free to contact us anytime at 1-800-252-4555 with any questions about how we can support you in dealing with work trauma or any other workplace problems that you face. Often, HR managers think of us for their employees but overlook the broad range of services we can provide to support the work that you do. If you haven’t had a reason to contact our toll-free line before, please call. We would be happy to talk with you about the broad range of benefits we have available for both you and your employees.