Normalizing the Workplace After a Shared Trauma

Submitted by the USPS Employee Assistance Program

One of your employees is involved in a fatal traffic accident while on duty. A hurricane or tornado blows through your area, damaging the post office and destroying the houses and cars of some of your employees as it passes.

An irate customer can be heard loudly threatening your window clerk. A long-term, well-liked employee unexpectedly dies at home during a heat wave. Your workplace is disrupted through an organizational change.

You know there are policies and procedures in place for protecting the mail and securing postal property during a crisis. But how do you manage the reactions of your employees during difficult events?Moreover, how does the work environment get back to normal after a situation that is anything but normal?

Events like those just described are traumatic for some, but may not be traumatic for all. Trauma is defined as a specific event that triggers intense emotions of helplessness, horror or terror. You may supervise a small office where everyone feels as if colleagues are a second family and everyone is affected by a co-worker’s difficulties.

You may supervise a large-city office with a diverse group of workers who don’t know much about each other’s lives and have their support systems in place outside of work. But there still may be a natural disaster or other event that affects everyone in the station. At some point, you might be faced with getting your workplace back to normal after an event that leaves everyone shaken. Following are some preliminary steps you can take immediately:

  • Monitor your own reaction to the situation. If you are having intense feelings, talk to a loved one, a trusted colleague or manager or a professional of some kind. You will be setting the tone in the workplace for how the crisis will be dealt with and will want to be able to approach your employees with confidence and calmness.
  • Let your workers know you are open and receptive to their reactions and needs. Acknowledge to them that strong feelings are normal and expected in a crisis. Let them know you all are in this together. Be willing to listen to their concerns and suggestions.
  • Get extra help to manage the emotional environment. Just as you most likely will be calling for help in securing the mail and repairing resources if needed, you also can call in someone to help your employees manage their reactions and answer their questions. The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) professional in your district is a good resource.
  • As you are securing the physical workplace, assess the needs of your employees. If the crisis involved an intruder, you may need to rearrange the cases so everyone has at least a peripheral view of the doorways. If a natural disaster occurred, identify those in the station who need help with transportation or emergency housing. If an employee has died, see if you are able to make changes to the schedule so that as many co-workers as possible can attend the funeral or visitation, if they so choose. Ask your employees what they need to feel comfortable. While it is not wise to promise anything you might not be able to deliver, asking what they need will provide ideas of which you might not have thought and help them feel their concerns are important to you.
  • Watch for signals of negative emotions. Watch for warning signs across your team. Are individuals putting in fewer hours or less effort?Has engagement dwindled? Take a close look at hard data and trends that can be signs of dissatisfaction and withdrawal, such as late arrivals, absenteeism and voluntary turnover.
  • Talk to troubled employees. When behaviors seem emotionally charged, it can be challenging to understand what is happening. Start by gathering data. Ask simple, neutral questions to get a conversation going, such as “How are you doing today?” or “Everything okay?” Then, tune in sharply to the response, taking stock of subtle indicators such as volume, pitch and speed of speech. Employees may not be comfortable saying they are sad, but they might tell you they feel discouraged or disappointed.
  • Resist the urge to fix others’ problems. Be quick to listen and offer support, but slow to advise. Ask questions to help employees determine what the best approaches would be. Help employees map out specific individuals in their network who could provide the support they need. All of these suggestions are important not only for the well-being of your staff, but also for the good of the Postal Service. Research conducted by the Royal Mail Group in England showed that companies that invest in post-trauma support reported lowered levels of employee absence and staff turnover and increased levels of productivity. Mental health support after a crisis is best kept brief and focused on reducing symptoms such as feelings of helplessness, terror and cynicism.

Research done by the military shows that a minority of soldiers have long-lasting, post-trauma stress symptoms, even when exposed to the stressful events of war. Similarly, the majority of people will rebound from a crisis and want to return to normal routines once they have been reassured the crisis is over.

Once you have your station up and running normally again after a crisis, you can conduct an informal risk assessment for your staff. While most employees will want to have the routine restored, you can identify those who are not fully recovered or are vulnerable to long-lasting effects.

Common responses immediately following a traumatic event may include:

  • shock, feeling dazed or numb
  • confusion or disbelief
  • a sense of helplessness, despair or hopelessness
  • feeling on edge, being easily startled
  • a racing heart or dizziness
  • restlessness
  • difficulty making decisions or concentrating
  • feeling sad or blue
  • fatigue, loss of appetite or difficulty sleeping
  • tearfulness or irritability
  • a desire to withdraw from others

Common longer-term reactions may include:

  • nightmares, flashbacks or disruptive memories
  • avoiding situations or people that remind a person of the traumatic event
  • being startled easily
  • emotional withdrawal or avoiding social situations
  • difficulty sleeping or eating
  • irritability
  • sadness or depression
  • guilt over surviving when others did not

Common triggers of stress-related symptoms may include:

  • anniversaries of the event
  • sights, sounds, smells or physical sensations that remind the person of the event
  • returning to the scene of the event
  • weather reports or other warnings that a similar event could occur

Remember, these responses are considered normal; symptoms may last for days or weeks. People typically find that many of their immediate stress reactions decline or disappear after a brief time. However, some may continue to experience stress-related reactions for a more extended period after the traumatic event. These troubling reactions can be triggered by places, people or objects that remind a person of the traumatic event.

If you identify employees who seem to be having difficulty returning to normal, talk with them individually, letting them know it is not uncommon to have trouble returning to normal after a crisis. Offer extra assistance via the EAP or other resources. Not everyone will need extra support or accept it when offered, but knowing it is available when needed can be reassuring.

Above all, take care of yourself after you have managed a crisis at work. It is stressful and tiring to manage a difficult situation. You may need some time away, extra care from loved ones, extra sleep or time for a hobby.

If you feel you are having trouble handling the stress of a traumatic event, your EAP is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call us today: 800-EAP-4YOU; TTY: 877-492-7341. You also can visit our website at EAP4YOU.com for additional resources and information.