Traumatic events at work: from prevention to follow-up care
Did something particularly serious happen at work? A case of aggression or a colleague who unexpectedly died? This can have a tremendous impact on the wellbeing of your employees. IDEWE Group helps you manage the risks. And how to react correctly if something does occur. That way you ensure everyone’s wellbeing.
What exactly is a traumatic event?
A "traumatic event" refers to sudden, unexpected situations that may occur at work. These acute incidents can cause severe emotional reactions among those involved.
Examples include:
- strong verbal or physical aggression
- a serious accident at work
- the sudden death of a colleague
- fire in the company building
IDEWE helps your organisation to prepare and intervene should such situations arise. From a risk assessment to the training of your confidential counsellor. Discover how.
Good to know: as an organisation, you are legally obliged to take measures to prevent post-traumatic stress.
Want to map the risks within your organisation?
What are the consequences of major incidents for you and your employees?
Traumatic events can cause a disruption among employees and within your organisation.
- Engaged employees react very differently to an incident: from being angry or confused to feeling shame or experiencing post-traumatic stress. They often sleep poorly or have difficulty concentrating. These reactions are normal but can be overwhelming.
- Organisations are seeing the impact of traumatic events in their absenteeism and productivity figures. The people involved need time to recover. Teams need time to get back to full speed.
It is therefore essential to be prepared for major incidents. With a solid policy in place to make the employees involved more resilient. And to process what happened in a healthy way.
How does IDEWE support your organisation?
Our experts assist affected employees - during and after the shock. Together with you, they will also develop a plan for traumatic events.
That way you are prepared for the unexpected and know what to do:
- psychosocial intervention plan (PSIP) – Based on our policy audit, we support you in developing a well-founded action plan regarding prevention, care, and follow-up care.
- swift support after a traumatic event – As soon as something happens, our prevention advisors will support you and your affected employees during the initial period following the event. Request more information about IDEWE Emergency Care 24/7.
- individual guidance – How do you restore the mental, emotional and physical wellbeing of those involved? We address personal needs through coaching and possibly therapeutic guidance. Discover the Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
- support in case of grief – Did someone lose a loved one? The grief often lingers. How do you deal with this as an employer? IDEWE will help you launch a dialogue.
- training – How to deal with aggression or other traumatic events at work in an appropriate way? You can learn how. Discover our training programmes for both managers and employees as well as for an in-house support team.
