Don't let your response to a bank heist hold up your employees' recovery
March 5, 2008
 By Joseph Utecht, Ceridian management consultant, M.A., CEAP, LPC |
| If you or your employees have ever witnessed or been involved in a bank robbery, you know the gamut of intense emotions it can evoke. When a robber commits a heist they steal much more than money. An employees' sense of well-being can be compromised and they may feel anger, anxiety and fear for days, weeks or even months afterward.
And this can affect not only your employees' sense of well-being, but their productivity. Organizations that offer Ceridian Employee Assistance Programs have a supportive resource in place to help employees cope with bank robberies and similar events. Employees can work through their fears by calling to talk to a counselor. We also offer a wealth of information on our LifeWorks Online Web site and those more seriously affected can be referred to see a counselor in person. In some of the more extreme cases, our clients choose another service called Critical Incident Management services where we provide counseling services at your worksite. Ceridian works with many clients whose employees have been directly impacted by robberies. One of our bank clients recently had a teller who was approached by a robber wearing a black, hooded sweatshirt and sunglasses. A week after the incident, the teller became fearful and fled her station when a regular bank customer dressed in a similar dark, hooded sweatshirt came into the bank. Why did she react this way? During a trauma, our brain takes in all kinds of information and associates it with a threat. The primitive part of our brain sends signals to our body telling it to operate in high gear for protection. The primitive part of the bank teller's brain engaged the "fight or flight response." During the robbery, the teller linked a dark, hooded sweatshirt with danger in her brain. After a robbery or another traumatic situation, it's natural for you and your employees to feel a wide range of emotions. Some people may have difficulty sleeping, feel distracted or feel afraid or unsafe. Some may not feel anything unusual at all. Others may experience symptoms of stress. The signs and symptoms of stress can be physical, such as shaking and dizziness; mental, such as difficulty concentrating; or emotional, such as sadness and crying. These are all normal reactions to an abnormal event. The good news is that most people who experience a traumatic event will recover without any formal intervention beyond perhaps information and reassurance. And remember, it's not always what you say to employees, but how you say it. If you manage bank employees you could offer statistics that may ease their mind about the actual threat of robberies, like this one: The FBI reports that during more than 7,000 bank robberies in 2006, 98 percent of bank employees were not physically injured. Cooling off a crisis When a robbery or other traumatic event occurs in your workplace, you can turn chaos into order by coordinating an appropriate and compassionate response to the situation. Here are steps you can take to support your employees and help them cope.
As a manager, it's important to be aware that your employees will experience a range of emotions and there are no right or wrong feelings or reactions. Give employees permission to feel what they feel. The first thing you should say to employees who have just dealt with a robbery is, "I'm sorry you had to go through this." Then take time to listen. Remember not to ignore your own feelings or expect to fix everything yourself. Also don't forget to follow up after a few days to see how employees are coping. Help you can bank on Although most people have natural resilience and will recover from a traumatic event without any professional help, some employees may need further help. Studies show that employers providing crisis intervention after bank robberies and other calamities, such as natural disasters, workplace violence or workplace accidents, may result in fewer event-related sick days and lower workers' compensation payments. That's how we can help. We helped one Ceridian customer that faced regular robberies by implementing a LifeWorks crisis response plan. In the first year alone, that customer lowered their workers' compensation costs enough to pay for the entire LifeWorks program. And that's not all. In 2007, our LifeWorks critical incident consultants responded to nearly 900 bank robberies. And we conduct more than 200 consultations a month for our clients who have experienced a traumatic event. When a crisis hits, we're here to help by providing you with:
If trauma strikes your organization, it doesn't have to rob your employees of their security and well-being. Ceridian LifeWorks can help your employees get the caring help and support they need -- and return them to being happy and productive on the job. Contact your Ceridian representative to learn more about Ceridian Employee Assistance Programs or our Critical Incident Management services. Joseph Utecht M.A., CEAP, LPC, is a licensed professional counselor and management consultant at Ceridian. He specializes in working with companies after critical incidents in the workplace. |
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