How HR Leaders Can Navigate Workplace Crises With Clarity and Compassion

January 29, 2026

Crises are touching workplaces more often—and in more complex ways than many leaders expect. In just two years, the number of employees needing critical incident support has increased by more than 70%, based on Lyra’s data from more than 5,400 incidents across global organizations. On top of events like community violence or natural disasters, many workplace crises are deeply personal—loss, suicide, trauma, or mental health emergencies—unfolding across teams and regions at the same time.

When situations like these arise, people pay close attention. Not just to what happens, but to how their organization responds. Decisions are made quickly, often before the full picture is clear, and the way support shows up—or doesn’t—leaves a lasting impression.

In moments this frequent and distributed, clarity is essential.

That’s why Lyra is introducing Critical Incident Reporting in Lyra Connect—real-time visibility into incidents across a global workforce, so HR teams can respond to them with confidence, care, and speed.

A clear picture when everything feels uncertain

Critical Incident Reporting brings crisis-related information into one place, so HR leaders can focus on supporting people—not chasing updates. It provides a real-time view of what’s unfolding across the organization to understand impact quickly and respond thoughtfully. This isn’t just more data—it’s the right data.

What HR leaders can see in a timely manner:

• A clear snapshot of incident activity, trends, and impact across regions
• The incident type, location, and assigned specialist
• The number of members supported and the type of care delivered
• A single global view of U.S. and international incidents, with streamlined intake and end-to-end documentation

What happens beyond reporting

Critical Incident Reporting is not a standalone tool. It’s a layer of Lyra’s broader global crisis response—designed to connect what HR can see with how employees are supported during and after a crisis.

While reporting helps HR leaders understand what’s happening in real time, Lyra’s crisis response resources focus on care delivery and recovery for employees.

This broader support includes: 

24/7 global care delivery

More than 3,000 trauma-trained specialists across 200+ countries and territories, available for virtual or onsite support.

Built for high-stakes moments

Lyra’s global crisis support is designed to scale across regions while adapting to local needs—so organizations can respond consistently without losing cultural and contextual care.

• Trauma-informed response designed specifically for high-risk, complex events
• Flexible care pathways that adapt to the nature of the incident and employee needs
• Culturally responsive support aligned to local norms and expectations
• Concierge-level coordination that removes friction during urgent moments

Recovery and response toolkits

New, role-specific toolkits designed to meet people where they are after a crisis.

• Trauma toolkits for members - Private, guided paths to healing that include a short, evidence-based trauma check-in, self-care resources, and direct access to trauma-informed providers
• Crisis response toolkits for HR and employees - Event-specific guidance that helps HR leaders communicate clearly and helps employees find immediate support in the days and weeks following a crisis

Together, these pieces connect visibility, response, and recovery—so organizations aren’t just tracking crises, but actively supporting people through them, long after the moment has passed.

Trust is built in these moments

In a crisis, employees remember how their organization showed up—whether support was easy to access and leaders led with care. Critical Incident Reporting helps navigate the hardest moments with more clarity and compassion, so employees feel supported, wherever they are. These are the moments that build trust long after the crisis has passed.