The first thing you should do is find out what the employee might need from the company. It helps to reassure there is nothing to worry about, and that you’ll do whatever you can to help them. During that first crisis conference with the employee, as the supervisor we need to be ability and willingness to direct them to resources immediately may motivate them to seek help sooner. We should try to be sensitive to the employee’s desire for confidentiality. Reassure that we will maintain whatever degree of privacy we can. If the situation is more open, such as a death in the family, a fire, or a natural disaster, then it may help to provide grief counseling, not only for the person in pain but for coworkers as well. Depending on the situation, we should focus on directing employees to a centralized and safe location.
Managers and supervisors should also attempt to identify and locate at-risk employees who might be directly affected. It is important to make every effort to identify and get appropriate assistance for those most deeply impacted. As good managers, we should never assume that all employees are highly affected by the events. They usually self-identify themselves or show ongoing lingering signs of emotional or cognitive problems which generally last for weeks. Initial emotions and obsessive thoughts about the recent events are usually normal during the first couple of days or weeks after the crisis.
Communication is never as important for organizations or individuals as it is during a crisis. Employees are in need of accurate and reliable information, especially from management. Good communication reduces uncertainty and harmful rumors, and can help employees reduce their fear, anxiety, and feelings of being out of control.
