After a Traumatic Incident at the Workplace

No matter how much we try to ensure a safe and healthy workplace, sometimes traumatic incidents occur: natural disasters, workplace accidents, man-made catastrophes and serious illness and death. As a supervisor, it is appropriate for you to prepare an action plan in case significant incidents do occur in your work area.

Historically, organizations reacted to traumatic incidents by moving quickly to a “business as usual” emphasis thereby ignoring or denying the serious reactions of affected employees. Only recently have many employers acknowledged that the emotional impact of traumatic workplace incidents can impair work performance, safety, group morale, physical health and psychological well-being. Current research, professional literature and field experience indicate that immediate supportive intervention to assist employees after an incident facilitates recovery and helps prevent long-term psychological damage. Studies report that employees who receive such services miss less work, require less medical treatment and file fewer disability and legal claims against their employer.

Since your organization has an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), you can expect to receive the following services to help you and your employees after a traumatic incident.

Management consultation

After an incident, you can consult with EAP professionals about:

• family notification in case of serious or fatal injury
• how to determine the level of functioning of affected employees and their ability to remain at work
• what intervention services can be made available to employees
• what to communicate to other employees
• the symptoms of delayed stress reaction to look for after employees return to work

Immediate intervention

EAP professionals can be available to employees soon after an incident to provide a supportive environment and to instill a sense of safety and security. They don’t conduct counseling sessions but validate employees’ experiences by allowing them to tell their stories.

Debriefings

Typically held 24 to 72 hours after the incident, debriefing sessions are conducted for everyone involved in the incident. They are confidential, nonjudgmental, emotionally supportive and educational sessions led by EAP professionals to help employees return to their level of functioning prior to the incident. Debriefings give participants information about trauma and grief reactions to help them understand that their personal experiences are normal responses. The group experience lessens the isolation that trauma often creates and assists in re-establishing healthy social networks and coping strategies.

Follow-up

For a few people, the trauma may affect them in unusually severe ways for longer periods of time and warrant professional help. Consulting with an EAP professional about employees whose job performance deteriorates after an incident is critical for the sake of the employee and workplace. Time away from work and counseling often are appropriate to prevent the development of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Self-care

Supervisors often are the last to realize the personal toll that a workplace traumatic incident can take on their own well-being. Healthy lifestyle habits and finding support from family, friends and professionals such as EAP counselors are just as important for you as for your employees. Don’t forget to take care of yourself, too!

By Cynthia Sulaski, MSW, CEAP
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