Tips for Managers in Times of Stress and Disaster

Communicate with your employees

• A message should go out to all employees from a senior manager.
• Communicate the importance of the situation, and reflect the normal fears and anxieties that we all share.
• List any steps the organization is taking to ensure the safety of its employees.
• Remind employees of resources available to them in the community and through their jobs, including the Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

Communication is a two-way process

This can be done informally, by walking around chatting with people, or more formally through a survey, perhaps via email. Ask your employees how they are doing.

• What are their main concerns?
• What do they need from you?
• Provide updates, or access to information, as subsequent news breaks.

Expect productivity to be lower

• Be patient and compassionate about it.
• Consider getting employees together for lunch or a snack as a way of tapping into group dynamics for support.

Be aware that some individuals may have more intense reactions than others

Persons at risk for such intense reactions include:

• Those whose lives were directly impacted by the event or similar events.
• Those who have experienced prior losses or traumas and for whom the current events serve to reactivate emotions.
• Those who are vulnerable to stress due to a mental, emotional, or substance abuse disorder.

Employers should be sensitive to the fact that intense reactions may result from unseen personal factors such as the above. The best course for managers is:

• Signal your willingness to talk.
• Be patient.
• Practice active listening.
• Be supportive.
• Problem-solve with the employee around covering their work responsibilities.
• Make sure they know where to get help. If they are already in treatment they should contact their therapist for an appointment. If they are not, a referral to the EAP may be a good place to start.

Use resources available to you as a manager

• If you have concerns about how individual employees are reacting, or the effect on your workforce in general, call your EAP for a management consultation.
• Consider scheduling a Critical Incident Stress Management group through the EAP.
• Remember to take care of yourself so you can take care of your employees; use your EAP if needed.