With anxiety and depression on the rise, employers may have to confront issues they never expected and find new ways to support their employees through traumatic experiences.

When we think of trauma, we tend to picture a big, sudden, life-changing event that leaves a lasting psychological scar. But a traumatic experience can include anything stressful, frightening or distressing. Anything can have a detrimental physical and mental effect — from the death of a loved one, to being bullied by a boss. And increasingly, employers are recognising the impact that trauma can have on workers.

When Laura* experienced a bereavement, she struggled to work in an office environment. “I wanted the peace and quiet of being at home, and my boss agreed to let me work remotely. They didn’t make any assumptions, they asked what I needed and listened to me.”

Counselling Directory member Belinda Sidhu, a therapist, says being a trauma-informed employer means one that understands, recognises, and responds to the impact of trauma on employees.

“This could include Covid, financial instability, war/political instability — as well as an individual's personal trauma such as divorce, domestic abuse, grief,” she explains.

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But being trauma-informed doesn’t mean trying to "fix" people. Rather, it’s about acknowledging that traumatic experiences can influence the way people function, including at work.

“Having trauma-informed practices can help to promote resilience and mental health, as well as productivity,” Sidhu says. “It's also important for employers to have a trauma-informed practice which is rooted in empathy to help prevent re-traumatisation.”

Not everyone who experiences a traumatic event will go on to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a psychological condition that can lead to flashbacks, severe anxiety, uncontrollable thoughts and behavioural changes.

But it’s thought that at least half of the population will experience a trauma at some point in their life — which can cause serious short and long-term distress. Workplace-induced trauma has various causes, including racism, bullying and job insecurity. In fact, research over the past two decades has highlighted its rising prominence.

Supporting an employee going through a difficult time is the right thing to do, but it’s also beneficial for businesses too.

“Being trauma-informed can increase retention and engagement, lead to higher productivity, better performance, reduce absenteeism, and improve employee wellbeing to help reduce burnout.”

How employers can be trauma-informed

“A key thing is to ensure line managers have training to understand trauma, recognise its signs, and signpost effectively” says Sidhu.

This could mean introducing a wellbeing or mental health check-in during one-to-ones with team members, or ensuring that there is easy access to mental health resources such as an Employee Assistance Programme scheme, counselling services, mental health champions or mental health first aiders.”

Offering flexible working arrangements — like remote work or time off for mental health reasons — can also help. “Above all, it's imperative that leaders foster a culture where seeking help is normalised and encouraged,” says Sidhu.

But, she adds, even well-intentioned employers get things wrong when it comes to mental health. One of the most common problems is ignoring entrenched, toxic organisational cultures.

“This could look like an employer outwardly offering initiatives such as counselling and mindfulness sessions, but not addressing toxic workplace practices,” she explains.

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It’s also essential to talk to employees to find out what they need. Managers don’t need to try to understand exactly what someone is going through — everyone’s experiences are individual. But they do need to create an environment where it is easy to talk about a problem without fear of judgement, and to take someone seriously if they say they are struggling.

Empathy has always been a key leadership attribute, but it is getting increasingly important as workers face challenging times. A study of 889 employees by Catalyst found empathetic leaders not only boosted engagement, innovation and retention, but people also reported greater levels of good mental health.

“Collaboration and empowerment are essential to trauma-based care. Asking employees what would benefit them is one step employers could make,” she adds. “Finally, avoid tokenism. Using buzzwords or introducing one-off workshops — and nothing else — can lead to mistrust and disillusionment.”

*Names have been changed to protect identities.

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