What is workplace trauma?
Workplace trauma refers to the psychological or emotional distress caused by negative events or conditions in the workplace. It can result from a single traumatic incident, such as an accident or violence at work. Alternatively, a workplace incident or trauma can involve stress from ongoing bullying, harassment, or uncertainty regarding job security.
What are the common causes of workplace trauma?
As each workplace is different, causality often can differ. Having said that, some common causes of workplace trauma are:
- Job insecurity or restructures within the workplace, including redundancies
- Physical and/or verbal abuse
- Bullying
- Workplace harassment, including sexual harassment
- Emotional manipulation by a manager
- Lack of leadership and support in the workplace
- Being micromanaged by a leader or manager
- Experiencing violence in the workplace or witnessing violence
- Being intimidated or threatened by a manager
- Experiencing discrimination
- A workplace expectation to work excessive hours
If you can relate to any of these causes or have experienced any incidents within your work environment, speaking to one of the caring psychologists or counsellors attending Brisbane Counselling Centre can help you gain clarity about what you have experienced and how you can move forward. Receiving professional help and evidence-based psychological care is very effective in recovering from workplace trauma. The therapists at our clinic take several evidence-based treatment approaches to trauma, including EMDR, CBT, ACT, Exposure therapy, and Psychodynamic therapy.
How does workplace trauma impact employees?
Workplace trauma can have both profound and long-lasting impacts on employees, affecting their emotional and physical well-being. Trauma within the workplace can have widespread effects on an employee’s life, both personally and professionally.
Some impacts of workplace trauma include:
- Emotional and behavioural changes – Trauma can cause various symptoms, including irritability, aggression or aloofness. Some employees also participate in unhelpful coping mechanisms like drinking, gambling or taking drugs to try to deal with whatever they have experienced.
- Physical symptoms – fatigue, hyperarousal, sleep disturbances, and other physical health symptoms are also common in employees who are experiencing or have experienced trauma.
- Mental health issues – Trauma can lead to psychological conditions, including PTSD, anxiety and depression. Symptoms such as an inability to participate in their usual daily activities, ruminating thoughts, avoidant behaviours and emotional instability can present for employees. Other symptoms may include difficulties concentrating, fear about going to work, and a lack of motivation or inability to complete tasks.
- Professional changes – Trauma can result in absenteeism and decreased levels of productivity. Relationships within the workplace can change as a result of trauma.
- Personal changes – Personal relationships may feel the strain of workplace trauma as well, which may go on to impact the quality of one’s life, including becoming withdrawn.
Addressing workplace trauma requires the organisation’s proactive response, including providing counselling for the employee or, alternatively, the employee seeking counselling themselves. Education within the workplace about trauma and having trauma-informed policies can assist in minimising or preventing workplace incidents and trauma within the work setting. Having a supportive workplace can also help prevent such trauma from occurring.
What are the benefits of employees seeking help for workplace trauma?
Whilst everyone responds to trauma differently and each traumatic event is different, there are several positives to seeking counselling and psychological treatment for workplace trauma or incidents, including:
- Improved mental health and well-being
- Reduction in symptoms including PTSD, anxiety, and depression
- Being able to regulate oneself emotionally
- Build resilience and recover from the traumatic event or incidents
- Able to function more effectively at work with focus, productivity and relationships with colleagues
- Early intervention can help to prevent long-term complications and mental health challenges from the workplace trauma
- Being able to access an EAP program assists employees in feeling supported and valued, creating a safe working environment
- Assists in building confidence and learning the skills to manage stress more effectively, leading to an enhanced quality of life
What can your organisation or business do to provide a supportive environment for your employees?
Creating a supportive work environment is the best way to prevent workplace trauma and effectively support your employees.
Some strategies that organisations and businesses can implement to create a supportive workplace include:
- Engaging in and encouraging open communication.
- Maintaining regular catchups with employees, including team meetings and other ways employees can provide feedback to management.
- Providing flexible working arrangements whenever possible to encourage a better work-life balance.
- Encouraging employees to take their holidays and schedule regular breaks from work.
- Encouraging both personal and professional development. Assisting employees in progressing their skills and careers sends a powerful message that you value your staff.
- Educating managers so that they can identify when an employee is distressed or struggling and offer support to these team members.
- Recognising and celebrating achievements within the team.
- Encouraging collaborative work and engaging in team-building exercises.
- Valuing diversity and inclusivity as important tenets in building a well-rounded team of employees.
- Employing managers and leaders who have strong emotional intelligence and can engage with team members effectively and respectfully. Providing training and education to managers to further enhance and develop these skills.
Engaging in these proactive steps will enhance the team’s satisfaction, retention, and productivity and provide a supportive environment for employees where they can feel motivated and confident in themselves.
How to manage workplace trauma?
The best way to manage workplace psychological trauma will differ depending on the circumstances surrounding the incident and the employees involved in the traumatic event. Nobody can solve psychological trauma in the workplace with a one-size-fits-all approach. Research shows that a blanket ‘early intervention’ approach is not necessarily the best strategy, as was once believed.
Historically, traumatic events in the workplace were processed and treated with critical incident stress debriefing (CISD). However, the current research shows that CISD can increase one’s distress or exacerbate symptoms of trauma, especially in a group situation.
The following are some ways organisations and businesses can more effectively manage psychological trauma following an incident in the workplace:
- Natural recovery – many people recover naturally following a traumatic event, as humans are incredibly resilient. Some recover simply by taking some time off or temporarily reducing their workload, eventually re-engaging in their working routines with support from management.
- Trauma-informed care allows time for natural recovery to occur while keeping a watchful eye on employees to identify signs of ongoing distress.
- Provide education about trauma and how people commonly respond to trauma, as well as learning about healthy ways to cope with trauma.
- Inform employees that help is available through their confidential EAP program and allow them to choose whether or not they engage in those services.
- It is best to seek help if symptoms are persistent for weeks after the traumatic event. If a person is frequently experiencing symptoms of trauma such as anxiety, depression or intrusive memories, they need professional treatment immediately. Similarly, if a person is unable to properly function at work or in their personal life, or if their daily routine has been impaired, they should seek psychological intervention immediately.
- Seek evidence-based psychological treatments, including EMDR, ACT and CBT.
- Occasionally, the affected person may need medication prescribed by their GP or psychiatrist.
The best way to approach a workplace incident for an employee is to tailor the intervention to the specific person, based on their needs and circumstances. A supportive and flexible approach, enabling natural recovery while knowing professional psychological treatment is available, is the best way to approach workplace trauma.
We can help!
If it’s a professional, consistent and caring affiliation you seek, and you are interested in learning more about how Brisbane Counselling Centre can assist your organisation or business in taking care of your valued employees, please call to speak with one of our friendly team members to discuss your needs further. If you are an individual and need help with workplace trauma, our psychologists and counsellors are available to help.
