By Chris Warland, Associate Director of Field Building – Research & Policy Division
The experience of trauma is prevalent in our society, and common among workers. Over 50% of women and over 60% of men in the US self-report experiencing at least one traumatic event. Trauma can take many forms, from combat to car accidents. The experience of traumatic events can have lasting effects on a person’s ability to perform well at work. People who have experienced childhood trauma, for example, have far worse employment outcomes as adults than the general population. Moreover, many of the common, usual ways in which people respond to the experience of trauma, such as withdrawal, agitation, or difficulty concentrating, can appear to employers as behavioral or attitude problems that can get workers reprimanded or fired.
The current COVID-19 pandemic is traumatizing many of us—but especially so for the people who must continue to go to work every day. Not just medical professionals and first responders, but also retail workers, delivery drivers, social service workers, and many other workers whose jobs are too important for them to stay home. Many of these workers are poorly paid, lack paid sick leave, do not receive health insurance through their employers, and are being asked to come to work every day without the kind of training, protective gear, or safety protocols that help protect workers like doctors and nurses.
Even more so today, every employer needs to respond better to the traumatic experiences of their workers, and avoid traumatizing or re-traumatizing them in the workplace. The social services field has developed principles for trauma-informed care that may also be applied to the workplace. These include a focus on safety, trustworthiness and transparency, peer support, collaboration and mutuality, empowerment and choice, and a recognition of cultural and gender issues. Currently Heartland Alliance, through our initiative Onboard Chicago, is working with employer partners to develop management practices that reflect these principles.
Unfortunately, these principles are often not the kinds of things employers typically consider when setting policies for workers. How transparent are employers about the decisions they make regarding their workers? Do they make those decisions collaboratively with workers? Do they directly address the impacts of racial inequities in their employment policies? Too often the opposite is true—many workers are asked to assume risks once borne by employers, as gig workers, independent contractors, and part-time workers with unpredictable schedules, no health insurance, and no time off. Many of these workers come from communities of color that are already caught in a cycle of poverty, trauma, and community violence. Many of these same workers have suddenly been found to be essential to the functioning of our society.
For workers who must continue to report to work during the COVID-19 crisis, there are some specific things employers can do to minimize the trauma experienced by their workforce and help maintain workplaces that are as safe, healthy, and non-traumatizing as possible. These include taking measures to protect the physical safety of workers, such as offering protective equipment and disinfecting supplies, facilitating and supporting social distancing, and allowing them to perform tasks remotely whenever possible. Employers also need to hear and respond to the voices of workers who fear for their safety and request additional measures to protect themselves. They can offer hazard pay, paid sick leave, and health insurance in recognition of the risks and sacrifices these workers are making to allow the rest of us to remain safely at home. And critically, workers who experience trauma on the job during the COVID-19 crisis should have access to long-term mental health care.
Finally, it is important to understand that creating workplaces that acknowledge and respond appropriately to the trauma of workers is not purely an act of altruism. Certainly the symptoms and consequences of traumatized workers negatively affect worker performance, productivity, attendance, and health care costs. By incorporating trauma-informed management practices and employment policies, employers stand to improve their bottom lines as well. Responding effectively to the trauma experienced by workers benefits us all.
