How Quality EAP Services Help Employees Cope with Trauma in the Workplace
Employers should not underestimate the impact of trauma on the workplace. Traumatized workers, without proper support, can have a range of symptoms that include difficulty concentrating, feelings of intense fear and anxiety, anger and irritability or sadness and depression. Victims can also experience guilt or shame as a result of others not understanding what they are going through or being blamed after an incident.
Violent incidents, a sudden death in the family, major workplace reorganizations, natural disasters or the current global pandemic are unexpected and unavoidable. But having a plan in place before a crisis occurs can help staff to cope with trauma more effectively.
A useful first step after any traumatic incident is to offer Critical Incident Debriefing, which helps employees come to terms with distressing experiences and process their emotions. Other Employee Assistance Program (EAP) resources, such as counseling referrals and support services, can also help employees to reduce the feelings of stress brought on by violence, death of a loved one or a disaster.
Offering employees such support moves the workplace closer back to “normal” while also showing workers that they are cared about as people.
Providing employees with calm, caring and immediate counseling sessions after a tragedy occurs can also help prevent “secondary injuries,” which can happen when victims do not receive proper support.
“Thank you so much for the support of the Ulliance Account Managers that came to the rescue after a tragic incident at one of our out-of-state manufacturing plants. The counseling and consult that was provided was essential for our managers and team members during this difficult time. I understand that there were Ulliance Account Managers on the road at 2:30 AM in order to provide this CISD in a prompt manner — words cannot express our gratitude!”
Benefits Manager, Large Michigan Manufacturing Plant
Leadership should strive to be visible and show authentic concern for employees’ well-being in the recovery period. Managers can also support staff by being flexible with schedules and emphasizing that employees should take time to care for their mental health after any stressful incident. Clear, honest communication following a traumatic event is also essential to helping people process and heal.
With trauma, it is important for employers to recognize that some people might recover quickly while others may experience lasting effects, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
June 27 marks PTSD Awareness Day. According to the American Psychological Association, PTSD is an anxiety problem that develops in some people after they experience extremely traumatic events.
People with PTSD may relive the event via intrusive memories, flashbacks and nightmares; avoid anything that reminds them of the trauma; and have anxious feelings that are so intense their lives are disrupted.
Combining years of clinical experience and the formation of a meaningful partnership with an organization’s human resources department, Ulliance is among the best EAP providers and our experts can tailor recommendations for a variety of traumatic circumstances. Whether managers need assistance with determining next steps after a crime in the workplace, or learning to appropriately communicate their commitment to helping staff recover following the incident, Ulliance specialists are available to help.
When you partner with Ulliance, our Life Advisor Consultants are always just a phone call away to teach ways to enhance your work-life balance and increase your happiness. The Ulliance EAP services can help employees and employers come closer to a state of total well-being.
To learn how we can help, give call us at 866.648.8326.
The Ulliance Employee Assistance Program can address the
following issues:
• Stress about work or job performance
• Crisis in the workplace
• Conflict resolution at work or in one’s personal life
• Marital or relationship problems
• Child or elder care concerns
• Financial worries
• Mental health problems
• Alcohol/substance abuse
• Grief
• Interpersonal conflicts
• AND MORE!