The impact of trauma in the workplace, and the importance of a trauma-informed approach

Trauma is a response to a distressing, emotionally disturbing, highly stressful, or life-threatening incident, event, or series of events. It can have an effect immediately, or a long time (even many years) after the event(s), and may come and go, depending on a variety of triggers.

There are countless circumstances that can lead to trauma, and not every distressing circumstance does, or does in the same way. Its impacts may differ significantly from person to person. As Dr. Gabor Mate puts it, trauma “is not what happens to you; it is what happens inside you as a result of what happens to you.”

Trauma can occur as a result of incidents where one feels unsafe, powerless, threatened, frightened, abandoned, unsupported, rejected, and so forth. This might occur, for example, as a result of being harmed, seeing someone else harmed, being neglected as a child, being abused, experiencing violence or a ‘near-death’ experience, intergenerational trauma, being the subject of racism or witnessing it, and many other circumstances.

The impact of trauma in the workplace

When we understand that trauma is what happens ‘inside’ a person (i.e., a change in their nervous system) as a result of what happened to them and/or what they experienced, it changes the thinking from “what’s wrong with this person?” to “what happened to this person?”. There are many different types and causes of trauma and there may be increasing effects over time, including re-traumatization which may occur as a result of:

  • Not being trusted, included, or involved in decision making as a result of mental health issues associated with trauma.
  • Not having an opportunity to be heard, give feedback, or be given a choice.
  • Working with clients who may be struggling with and expressing similar experiences and circumstances.
  • Punitive and/or disciplinary-focused (as opposed to corrective) actions in the workplace.

It is important for employers to understand the effects of trauma, as it can significantly impact one’s mental health and ability to contribute effectively at work. Accordingly, how it manifests at work can also vary greatly; for example, employees may:

  • Not speak up or set reasonable boundaries.
  • Not voice ideas or pursue opportunities and challenges .
  • View constructive feedback given to them as a personal failure.
  • Be excessively hard on themselves for errors that anyone could have made.
  • Take a lot of time off work or be less present and productive while at work.
  • Withdraw from working in teams.
  • Be more irritable, anxious, or angry.
  • Feel undervalued.

Vicarious trauma may also occur as a result of second-hand exposure to a distressing event (e.g., as a result of working with certain clients), or accumulated exposure over time.

What is a trauma-informed approach?

A trauma informed approach means working to understand and acknowledge that trauma exists, recognizing how it can impact one’s life, experience, and interactions at work, and doing what’s possible to support the person experiencing trauma, as well as those they interact with. This doesn’t mean labelling, diagnosing, or treating trauma. Nor does it mean excusing unsatisfactory performance or behaviour. It does mean promoting understanding, support, and empathy for trauma, and recognizing that trauma arises from many different experiences and events.

Adapted from the Buffalo Center for Social Research, the principles of a trauma-informed approach in the workplace include:

  • Safety – Helping individuals ensure physical and emotional safety.
  • Trustworthiness – Ensuring clarity, consistency, and professional interpersonal boundaries.
  • Choice – Ensuring individuals clearly understand their rights and responsibilities, and allowing them to have choice and control as it relates to their own health and wellness.
  • Collaboration – Sharing power and making decisions together.
  • Empowerment – Recognizing strengths and skills, and providing an atmosphere where people feel validated.

How can employers support those who have/are experiencing trauma?

Given the many ways it can manifest, it won’t always be obvious if a team member has or is experiencing trauma. However, there are actions that employers can take to help support the mental health of their employees, in general. In addition to understanding and learning more about a trauma-informed approach, these actions include:

  • Reaching out and checking in regularly, and particularly if something seems ‘off.’
  • Making mutual support a value, and encouraging your teams to support one another during life’s inevitable difficulties.
  • Debriefing challenging interactions and situations.
  • Providing meaningful and genuine acknowledgement.
  • Taking an appreciative inquiry approach; i.e., acknowledging and supporting employees to work to their strengths.
  • Supporting employees to work flexibly and take time off.
  • Protecting their down time; e.g., not emailing or messaging after hours.
  • Promoting resiliency and having open conversations about vicarious trauma, if applicable to your workplace.
  • Offering training sessions associated with mental health and/or providing coverage for employees to take them on their own.
  • Offering enhanced benefits for counselling and mental health supports, and ensuring employees are aware of their options.

Overall, it’s about fostering a genuine, safe, supportive, and trusting work environment.

Our HR Consultants can work with you to support a trauma-informed approach in your workplace.