Workplace


Companies must carefully manage traumatic issues so people can get back to work effectively. Mismanaging a workplace disruption can lead to lingering problems for weeks and even years


episode or serious accident on the job; an office relocation; a major downsiz- ing; or a problem with a company’s products or services (such as causing harm to a customer or having to announce a huge recall). Even a new manager with a drastically different leadership style can upset office culture, requiring intervention. “When you have something that is traumatic to your workplace, it can derail you from meeting your business goals if you don’t deal with it properly,” says Laura Williams, principal of Williams HR Law and CEO of Williams HR Consulting in Markham, Ont. She calls it “workplace restoration,” and she says companies must carefully manage traumatic issues so people can get back to work efficiently. Management schools rarely cover this topic, but it’s an essential part of leadership, and mismanaging a workplace incident or disruption can lead to lingering problems for weeks and even years. “This can make or break your organi- zation,” says Suzanne Jolly, a work- place health consultant based in Squamish, BC. Wondering how you’d move your employees through a crisis and keep them safe, motivated, emotionally stable and ready to get back to business on the other end? Here are some steps from the experts.


18 | CPA MAGAZINE | APRIL 2015 Plan


Most companies have been prodded to develop a risk-management plan for issues that negatively affect the work- place such as financial meltdowns or large-scale negative media attention (not that businesses always obey; many risk-management plans lie half-written). But Williams says leaders should also chart out their response for internal tragedies and riſts. “Put the issues in buckets. You won’t come up with the exact scenarios, but you should have plans for certain things you can bucket,” she says. Understand the services offered by the company employee assistance program (EAP), such as grief counselling, and decide who will be the point person when clients call for a deceased, ill, suspended or laid-off employee. Sketch out a script for what to say to those clients and review federal privacy legislation so you know what you can disclose. Most critically, work out your internal lines of communication to keep your team informed.


Talk and listen “The biggest management faux pas is not saying something wrong; it’s not saying anything at all,” Williams says. Leaders have to put the problem front and centre and disclose what they can. Ignoring a problem triggers the rumour mill


and can lead to long-term mistrust. Once management has finished


offering information, it’s time to turn the mike over to the team. “Employees, with leadership there, should be able to talk about how this impacted them,” says Williams. While executives may have a sense of what employees need to heal, it should be the staff who decides when and how to have a memorial service, to take up a collection for a charity or group-sign a card. Management should offer support for executing team ideas, but also make sure everyone’s needs are being met. “There can be resentment sometimes for people who have their own way of coping,” warns Jolly. Some staff members might not want to talk. They might not want to sign the card. “A good leader will take note and support that,” she says.


Work “Getting back to work — it’s the elephant in the room,” says Williams. Many offices will take a day off aſter a severe tragedy, or devote a morning to talking about something difficult that’s going on. But making the transition back to clients and deadlines can cause guilt for some employees, and make leaders and owners feel torn between compassion for colleagues and worry over the bottom line. Jolly suggests simply being open:


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