A workplace critical incident or traumatic event is an event that is sudden, unexpected, and of a magnitude that is beyond the norm of what usually happens to people at work, potentially overwhelming normal coping abilities. Such events can include workplace accidents, sudden deaths, or natural or man-made disasters.
When traumatic events happen they can adversely affect employees, which can show up in behaviors such as: increased absenteeism; reduced productivity; inability to focus, concentrate, or remember; increased errors; lowered morale; and generally disrupted work performance. All levels of workers can be affected including you as management. You have the dual role of managing the workplace as well as taking care of yourselves.
EAP provides a range of Critical Incident Response services including: management consultation, de-escalation, debriefing, and follow-up services. Topics include:
- CIM Reactions to Expect
- Identifying Traumatic Reactions in the Workplace
- Understanding Traumatic Stress Responses
- Supporting a Grieving Employee: Ideas for Managers
- Symptoms: Impact from a Traumatic Incident