Thanks for subscribing!
You will now receive future content from Lyra Health.
Trauma is an inherently weighty topic—one that most people tend to shy away from, especially at work where it can feel like efficiency and productivity are prioritized over vulnerability and self-care. But trauma history can follow us even if we try to ignore it. Overlooking the impact of trauma on employees can have catastrophic effects, both for the individual and the company that relies on their energy and creativity. A trauma-informed workplace can help teams maintain engagement and productivity by supporting them when they need it most.
What is trauma?
Trauma is an emotional injury that affects well-being and performance. The American Psychological Association defines it as “an emotional response to a terrible event.”
Trauma is common. In a survey of people in 24 countries, the World Health Organization found that 70 percent of people had experienced trauma. Even if you’ve never experienced a traumatic event, it’s likely you’re regularly interacting with people at work who have.
People react to and cope with traumatic events in many different ways. Some people may develop psychological conditions like depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Others might experience difficulties regulating their emotions or trusting others, or may even develop physical illnesses like heart disease or lung cancer. Still, experiencing a traumatic event doesn’t automatically mean you’ll develop one of these conditions. Regardless of how people respond to trauma, all employees should be able to come to work and experience safety and inclusion.
What is a trauma-informed workplace?
A trauma-informed workplace is an organization that operates with an understanding of trauma and its negative effects, and works to mitigate these effects by remaining respectful and responsive to people’s needs and boundaries.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identifies six “guiding principles” for approaching trauma. These principles can help employers shape better trauma-informed management and policies:
- Safety
- Trustworthiness and transparency
- Peer support
- Collaboration and mutuality
- Empowerment, voice, and choice
- Cultural, historical, and gender issues
The Harvard Business Review simplifies it further, into three principles:
- Acknowledgement: the person experiencing trauma feels heard
- Support: the person experiencing trauma can get the help they need
- Trust: the person experiencing trauma knows they’ll be treated fairly
The goal of a trauma-informed workplace is not to heal people or get them to talk about their trauma at work. Instead, the goal is to create a safe environment where people can communicate boundaries and seek out support or accommodations when needed.
Why is it important for workplaces to be trauma-informed?
Creating a trauma-informed workplace pays dividends for both employees and organizations. The effects of trauma can reduce employee productivity and lead to presenteeism, where employees are on the job physically but put forth the bare minimum effort to get by. And, because today’s workers tend to value well-being and work-life balance, a workplace that doesn’t address these issues may find itself losing good workers and missing out on highly qualified job applicants.
On the other hand, workplaces that address trauma in healthy ways may see an increase in employee commitment to the organization. Trauma-informed workplaces help foster a sense of safety and well-being and contribute to healthier communities.
Trauma-informed communication and management take effort. As the CDC points out, “It requires constant attention, caring awareness, sensitivity, and possibly a cultural change at an organizational level.” But the benefits gained, such as employee health and loyalty, are worth the effort.
10 tips for creating a trauma-informed workplace
Navigating the effects of trauma in the workplace requires compassionate leadership and a proactive approach. Leaders have a responsibility to create safe and supportive environments for all employees, and leave them feeling supported, safe, and empowered to advocate for themselves and others. Here are a few core steps that form the foundation of a trauma-informed workplace.
- Train leaders on trauma-informed management. Seek out training opportunities for workplace leaders to help them recognize how co-workers or work design may trigger distress and learn to respond appropriately. Managers and company leaders are in an ideal position to notice and respond to signs that someone may be struggling and connect employees with helpful resources.
- Create a response strategy. Know the resources available to employees, including mental health benefits, PTO, and leave policies. By establishing a response protocol for when something traumatic happens, you’ll be able to navigate difficult situations with compassion and the right tools. Because leaders are also impacted by these events, having a plan in place can reduce the amount of time you spend gathering resources and formulating a response, giving you more time to focus on your own well-being too.
- Acknowledge traumatic events and their impact. The topic of trauma can seem overwhelming, and it may feel easier not to address it at all. However, ignoring trauma and its very real impacts can make employees feel alone and unsupported.
- Advertise resources to employees. Since employees may not be intimately familiar with the benefits and resources available to them, send regular communications reminding employees of your mental health coverage options.
- Grant flexibility. By encouraging the use of PTO and being flexible when possible, you demonstrate that you value your employees’ well-being, and give them the opportunity to prioritize their own mental health. You may need to discuss scheduling and deadline adjustments, working location, and other factors to help employees who need more support.
- Set healthy boundaries. Helping someone in the aftermath of trauma isn’t easy. It’s important to protect your energy by guiding employees toward professional care and company resources. Having empathy is important, but if you take on too much mental and emotional responsibility for an employee’s trauma journey, you can quickly burn out. In addition, if the traumatic event involves your entire workplace or community, you may be struggling and have limited bandwidth to shoulder others’ emotions.
- Be sensitive. There’s no right way for someone to feel after trauma. Be sensitive to your employees’ feelings and needs, and learn the basics of trauma-informed communication, or what to say or not say, to someone who has experienced trauma.
- Acknowledge and address mistakes. Obviously, we want to do our best to not intentionally harm others, but mistakes happen and sometimes we say things that trigger a colleague. When a rupture like this happens, it’s important to focus on repairing it. Recognizing that rupture and repair happen all the time in both professional and personal relationships, approach it as a learning opportunity. Explicitly acknowledge and apologize for your actions, ask how you can make it right based on their feelings and needs, listen actively and empathetically, and commit to being more mindful and continuing to educate yourself.
- Seek input from affected individuals on their support needs. This is especially important when considering a global workforce that may have diverse exposures and reactions to trauma. Make sure to establish an environment where open communication is encouraged and consent is valued, so that people can express what support and safety looks like for them.
- Think globally. Different cultures have different ways of addressing and responding to trauma. If you’re not sure how to best support your global workforce’s mental health, seek the advice of your HR department or mental health benefits provider. They can guide you toward implementing strategies that are culturally sensitive and appropriate for diverse populations and contexts.
Creating more trauma-informed workplaces will always be a work in progress, not a single item to check off of a to-do list. Just as it takes time to build trust in any relationship, this too is an ongoing process full of learning and growth, rupture, and repair. But these efforts pay off in enhanced safety, emotional wellness, trust, and productivity.
A healthy, resilient workforce is within reach.
Lyra offers tools to create a trauma-informed workplace.
Talk to us today
By
The Lyra Team
18 of July 2023 - 6 min read
Mental health at work
Stay in touch and get the latest blogs
