How HR & Employers Can Support Their Employees During Tragedy
Nobody knows when a tragedy will strike, however what HR’s can do is to have a plan in place about what to do when it strikes. Helping your employees in times of distress is a sure shot way to have a happier working environment. Here are some tips on how HR can manage the teams during difficult times.?
1. Ask Questions
If your team is distributed, your first priority after a tragedy should be to reach out to those employees who are in closest proximity to the occurrence. If you can, the best way to show concern is to contact them individually to determine what they’re in need of most.
But even if your resources don’t allow a timely response at the personal level, you should still meet with select individuals, with managers, and with all teams to determine how your employees and their loved ones are affected. Even those without personal connection to the tragedy may find themselves feeling more anxious or in need of emotional support.
Proximity doesn’t only mean physical distance, either. If you’re finding employees are reluctant to discuss their feelings with you, consider sending an anonymous survey or opening a suggestion box. You may learn things that employees weren’t ready to share at the time, or that they felt too vulnerable to share in person.
2. Share Resources
When employees are going through an emotionally difficult time, they may not have the bandwidth to navigate their way to mental health resources, even if those resources seem readily available. This is the time when HR can step in and offer help, but as you do so, be sure to look for solutions that can offer immediate relief. For instance, HR can give employees information for the company's EAP, which is especially equipped to give quick, short-term support.
Additionally, look for ways to give aid proactively and broadly. Some examples include:
3. Provide Ample Time Away
Consistent exposure to tragedy is draining. Some of your employees will likely have difficulty processing their work responsibilities if they’re preoccupied with the emotional fallout of a catastrophe. Especially given the stress many have already been feeling over the last two years, this is the time to let empathy lead and recognize that employees always benefit from a mental health break.
But even the concept of a “break” has evolved recently. For many of us, home is now also the office, and feeling like we’re always “on” can accelerate burnout. Giving your people time off proactively is a great way to create space and help them regain perspective.
That could look like:
One thing to consider is making these “time away” changes permanent, not temporary or unexpected. Otherwise, you risk bringing what the company perceives as a “worthy-enough tragedy” into the equation, and that gets messy fast. Plus, it might not be feasible to give everyone the afternoon off when there's a tragedy, so the next best thing is to build plenty of flexibility and space into your permanent policy.
领英推荐
4. Encourage a Culture of Listening
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, you may have noticed a rise in off-topic chatter during your meetings—between the stress of rising cases, testing, and lockdown, human contact became a precious commodity. That trend may be continuing in the wake of seemingly nonstop public tragedies.
Managers will be your first line of support in this situation. They’re the ones that can create space for employees to express their anxieties and make openness an integral part of the team culture.
Train your managers to become active listeners and create that open culture. Here are some tips to get your managers started:
Begin meetings by acknowledging the tragedy and see where the conversation goes.
Simply ask your team how they’re feeling, which shows them you’re aware and you care.
Set aside time to let your team freely discuss how difficult it is to work in the midst of chaos and uncertainty.
Gather ideas from them about what kind of support would be most useful.
Remind managers to approach these conversations with compassion and attentiveness and to allow room for the conversation to flow in a healthy, expressive direction.
5. Promote Action
The role you play as an HR professional during times of crisis is so important. It’s a chance to take action and offer support as a leader in your organization.
Here are a few tips to help you support your employees in their efforts to feel more involved:
No matter the tragedy, there are always people who need help or who need resources to be able to help those in crisis. By donating either time or money as a team, your employees can feel like they’re making a difference. That shift from helplessness to action can be a powerful tool in helping people cope with the turmoil around them.
6. Have a Plan in Place Before You Need It
While there’s no predicting what kind of tragedy might come next, we know with certainty that something will happen. And while we can’t stop bad things from happening, HR pros can alleviate the impact tragic events have on employees and help guide their teams through the healing process.
Listen to your employees, give them space to talk and to heal, give them the resources they need, and help them take action. These simple measures will go far to support your employees on an individual level, which helps your entire work environment become more resilient in turn.