What is Trauma in the workplace?

Trauma that occurs at work is referred to as workplace trauma. This might be a single, traumatic incident, such as an accident at work. Alternatively, it could be a result of continuing stressful situations (such as an abusive supervisor or unreasonable job requirements).

There are several ways that trauma may appear in a person. (This is true regardless of whether the trauma stems from a single occurrence or continuous pressures, such as a poisonous workplace.) This covers symptoms related to one’s bodily and emotional well-being. Acute stress disorder or, in more extreme situations, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may eventually result from these symptoms.

The following are a few of the enduring consequences of job trauma:

Mental Health Issues

Workplace trauma might result in persistent mental health problems. Depending on the individual and circumstance, this might consist of:

• elevated anxiety (generalized anxiety as well as anxiety specific to one’s job).
• elevated depressive symptoms.
• panic episodes.
• difficulties controlling one’s emotions.

Physical Health Issues

• Physical health problems might also result from workplace trauma. This might involve fatigue and hyperarousal.
• problems with sleep.
• having trouble unwinding.
• reduced vigor.
• discomfort in the body.

Flashbacks

Individuals who have suffered from trauma may have flashbacks to the traumatic event. In these instances, the employee may feel as though they are reliving the trauma; even though the trauma has long since passed, their nervous system reacts as though it is. Needless to say, this can be incredibly frightening, upsetting, and taxing for the employee who is experiencing it.

Increased Absenteeism

Workplace trauma can also lead to problems with an employee’s engagement and attendance. For instance, the worker might need to stay at home to tend to their health if they are exhibiting physical or mental symptoms. Alternatively, what happens if they discover that their job triggers them (for instance, they exhibit symptoms each time they deal with a toxic boss)? They can decide not to go to work in order to stay away from such triggers.

Increased Reactivity

Illness is not a universal experience. Individuals respond to trauma in various ways. And a typical response? heightened responsiveness.

Workers who have gone through trauma at work might respond excessively. This indicates that they are more likely to become agitated and angry, and they can respond in a way that is inappropriate for the circumstances they are going through.

This hyper-reactivity can occasionally be brought on by a traumatic event. (For instance, they can become more agitated after speaking with their emotionally abusive supervisor. This might make them act out (e.g., scream at a coworker who asks for assistance with a project). However, persistent reactivity may also be a sign. People could therefore be perceived as having a “short fuse.”

Decreased work performance

PTSD’s many side effects might make it challenging to complete tasks. Workers may feel distracted due to the physical, psychological, and emotional problems. They might also find it difficult to go on with their assignments and initiatives. Even among workers who have always performed at the highest level, this might lead to a sharp decline in performance.

Increase in Burnout

Many trauma survivors exhibit avoidant tendencies. They search for strategies to keep from experiencing or considering how the trauma has affected them. And for other workers, immersing themselves in their profession is one way they try to avoid addressing the trauma.

They may perform better at work, but this increases their risk of burnout.

Self-isolation

Individuals who have through stress at work might grow more reclusive and lonely. An employee who has many pals at work, for instance, can distance themselves from their coworkers. (They could also distance themselves from friendships and family ties outside of work.) They could be by themselves for extended periods of time, which can exacerbate mental health problems.

Substance abuse issues

Substance abuse, including alcohol and other drugs, is another method that trauma survivors avoid confronting their experiences. A person may or may not take drugs at work, depending on the severity of their substance addiction problems. But substance misuse may be fatal, regardless of whether it occurs at work, at home, or both.

Common Causes of Workplace Trauma:

Now that you are aware of a few of the many consequences of workplace trauma, let’s discuss some potential triggers.The following are a few of the most typical causes of workplace trauma:

Physical workplace violence

Workplace violence is distressing.This include acts of physical aggression, such as physical or sexual assault.Even when it is directed at just one individual, workplace physical violence can result in a collective trauma where most or all of the workforce is coping with the painful experience.

A toxic work environment

Trauma in the workplace may also be caused by a hazardous work environment. To various people, the term “toxic work environment” might indicate different things. An example of a workplace culture that might cause trauma to workers is one that tolerates or even promotes discrimination. This encompasses, among other things, ageism, sexism, homophobia, and racism. It also includes emotional abuse, such as receiving constant yelling or denigration from a manager.

Overwork culture is another example. (For instance, even if they are not compensated extra, salaried staff members are expected to work weekends and evenings.) For certain team members, a workplace that tolerates harassment, pressure, or gaslighting may also be distressing.

Work Accidents

Workplace trauma can also result from accidents. When someone gets into an accident, it might traumatize them personally as well as the individuals who saw the tragedy. Occasionally, an incident involves a greater number of workers and is more broad (such as becoming trapped in a storm while at work).

Unrelated traumas that happen at work

Not every workplace tragedy has a clear connection to the workplace. It is possible for someone to go through a trauma at work that is unrelated to the company or other workers. However, even if it has little to do with their jobs, they could still discover that their jobs trigger them following the incident. (Let’s take an example where an employee receives a call at work informing them that a loved one was involved in an accident. Every time they sit at their desk or hear the phone ring, their sorrow and trauma may be reactivated.)

Social troubles might also be linked to trauma, and trauma can lead to problems at work. For example, a rise in gun violence and major shootings may have traumatized some employees. Even when there hasn’t been any gun violence at work, people could nevertheless encounter triggers or symptoms of trauma while at work.)

How leadership can mitigate workplace trauma

Workplace trauma cannot be totally eradicated by organizations. However, there are steps they may do to lessen trauma at work and provide greater assistance to their staff.

Remove the Stigma

Trauma and the problems it causes are still somewhat stigmatized. However, you cannot resolve an issue if you refuse to discuss it. So what should you do initially to lessen trauma at work? Eliminating the stigma.
Discuss workplace trauma with your staff. Inform them that you, as a company, are there to assist them. Offer to listen to their difficulties or to respond to any inquiries they might have.

Open and frequent discussion of trauma helps foster a feeling of psychological safety. This will raise the likelihood that workers will disclose trauma at work. Additionally, it will establish a secure atmosphere in which staff members may seek assistance if they experience symptoms associated with trauma.

Recognize any trauma that may have occurred at work if it did. Discuss it. Tell your staff members about your plans for handling the upsetting incident. For instance, accept what occurred if there was an accident at work. After that, go over your strategy with your staff to improve workplace safety. Inform them of your plans to stop a similar mishap from occurring in the future.

Or what happens if a worker accuses their manager of being abusive? Inform the direct reports of the supervisor that they have been relieved of their duties. Then, if they were traumatized by the relationship as well, provide them with any further assistance.

Offer workplace trauma training

You must educate your team if you want to handle trauma in the workplace successfully. or, to put it more precisely, trauma-informed.

Managers can receive the knowledge they need from workplace trauma training to provide greater assistance to their staff. Additionally, it might provide tools for workers to comprehend their own trauma. Additionally, it may give individuals the confidence to ask for help or seek therapy.

You might provide your staff with a range of trainings, but some trauma-informed ones you might want to think about are as follows:

• Workplace trauma: common causes and strategies for addressing them.
• How to tell whether someone has had a traumatic event, including how to spot triggers, and how to support them.
• How to discuss traumatic experiences—both personal and societal—without turning the conversation into a trauma dump.
• How to recognize and stop abusive conduct in the workplace.
• How to establish a workplace that helps workers who are experiencing trauma.
• How to disclose a traumatic event at work.
• Guidelines for handling and helping a distressed employee.

Your staff will be better knowledgeable the more skillfully you teach your workforce. and the better your business will be able to reduce trauma as a consequence.

Offer additional resources to traumatized employees

It is imperative that essential team members receive training on how to assist staff members who are experiencing trauma. This covers managers, HR specialists, and leadership. However, they are not medical experts. They are unable to give professional assistance or therapy, but they are able to offer empathy and support. Furthermore, in order to manage and recover from their trauma, traumatized people frequently require professional assistance.

For this reason, it’s critical to have extra resources available to assist staff members who are experiencing trauma. This includes directing them to trauma professionals and providing information about available resources for help. Referrals to social workers, mental health specialists, and/or trauma support groups are a few examples.

Offering a stipend for staff wellness or mental health is another option you might want to think about. That way, they will have some extra financial means to receive the care they require if and when they find themselves suffering with trauma.

Adopt a zero-tolerance policy to common drivers of workplace trauma

As previously stated, a variety of incidents and actions can result in trauma at work. It is impossible to prepare for every scenario or action that might cause an employee to become traumatized. However, it is feasible to prepare for the typical causes of trauma at work. Zero-tolerance policies ought to be part of that strategy.

It’s critical to prevent stressful workplace dynamics and safeguard your staff against trauma. Adopting a zero-tolerance policy against typical trauma-inducing actions is one method to do that. Among them is 

• physical violence.

• emotional abuse (such as bullying or gaslighting).
• manipulative techniques on an emotional level.

Put your policy in writing. Put it in your employee handbook and give it to every worker after that. Make them attest to having read and comprehended the policy by having them sign a form. This will minimize any possible problems in the event that a worker violates the rules and has to be reprimanded or fired.

It is essential to acknowledge that not all situations that have the potential to cause trauma can be handled with a zero-tolerance policy. For instance, excessive gossiping may be traumatizing to certain employees. However, you cannot terminate every worker for engaging in gossip at the water cooler. Still, you can dissuade it.

Under such circumstances, adopting a grey rocking strategy might be beneficial; urge your staff to follow suit. By taking this stance, you refuse to confront or interact with staff members who engage in toxic conduct. You put up the most of an indifferent front. This may eventually reduce troublesome habits.

However, if the conduct keeps upsetting the workplace, it might need to be reported to HR or the person’s supervisor.

Prioritize your employees’ health and well-being

It’s critical that businesses take all reasonable measures to reduce workplace trauma. Supporting employees who have experienced trauma is also essential.

And a method for doing that? putting the mental health and wellbeing of your staff first.

Members of your team will experience less stress when your company values and supports the well-being of its workers. They’ll be more involved with their jobs, bosses, and other employees. They will be certain that the firm would treat them with respect and take all necessary steps to help them in the event of a trauma. Being aware of this assistance can help individuals become more resilient and better equipped to handle trauma should it arise.

This will not only support traumatized workers, but it may also help reduce trauma in the workplace. An organization that places a high priority on employee well-being, for instance, is less likely to have a harmful overwork culture. Employee burnout and the stress that frequently accompanies it can be prevented by doing this.

Another example would be if you established a culture that prioritizes the wellbeing of your staff. It will be simpler to identify supervisors and workers who don’t fit with that culture. Managers who scream at their direct reports are one example. After that, you can take steps to put an end to the traumatic conduct. This might entail firing supervisors and/or workers who don’t respect their coworkers’ health and wellbeing.

Take Specialist Help

Employing mental health specialists in the workplace can significantly benefit both employees and the organization, especially in addressing trauma and mental well-being. Here’s why:

• Increased Productivity and Efficiency

Trauma can negatively affect focus, decision-making, and creativity. By providing mental health support, workplaces can help employees manage stress and trauma, improving their overall productivity. When employees feel emotionally supported, they perform better and stay engaged.

• Reduced Absenteeism and Presenteeism

Unresolved trauma often leads to increased absenteeism, where employees take more time off due to mental health issues. Similarly, presenteeism—where employees are physically present but not fully functioning due to mental distress—affects productivity. Mental health specialists can help mitigate these issues through timely interventions.

• Creating a Safe and Supportive Environment

Employing mental health specialists fosters a culture of care and understanding. This proactive approach to addressing trauma creates a safe space for employees to open up about their struggles, preventing them from feeling isolated or stigmatized.

• Employee Retention and Satisfaction

Companies that prioritize mental health are more likely to retain talent. Employees feel valued when their well-being is prioritized. Offering trauma support through specialists enhances job satisfaction and loyalty.

• Early Detection of Issues

Mental health specialists can identify early signs of trauma, stress, anxiety, or burnout. Early intervention prevents small issues from becoming larger crises, promoting long-term mental well-being.

• Legal and Ethical Responsibility

Employers have a duty of care to their employees, and this includes mental health. Having professionals in the workplace ensures that companies fulfil their ethical and legal obligations to provide a healthy work environment.

• Better Team Dynamics and Relationships

Trauma can impact how individuals interact with others, sometimes leading to conflicts or miscommunication. Mental health support helps employees manage their emotions, fostering better collaboration, empathy, and team cohesion.

Overall, mental health specialists play a critical role in maintaining a healthier, more resilient workforce, especially in addressing trauma.

Parting Notes

At The Insight Clinic, we understand that mental health is just as important as physical health, especially when it comes to dealing with trauma. Our team of dedicated specialists is here to help you navigate life’s toughest challenges with personalized care, empathy, and expertise.

If you or your organization are looking to prioritize mental well-being, now is the time to act. Whether you’re facing personal struggles or aiming to create a healthier work environment, our trauma-focused therapies will help you or your team thrive.

Why Choose The Insight Clinic?

• Expertise in Trauma Recovery: Our specialists are highly trained in trauma care, offering evidence-based treatments tailored to individual needs.
• Holistic Approach: We combine therapy with tools for long-term emotional resilience, ensuring you get the comprehensive care you deserve.
• Client-Centered Care: Your well-being is our priority. We offer a safe, supportive, and non-judgmental environment where healing can begin.

Ready to Take the Next Step? Reach out to The Insight Clinic today and take control of your mental health journey. Let’s work together to create a brighter, healthier future.

Contact us now to schedule your consultation!