The people aspects of Business Continuity – looking under the surface
Following a potentially traumatic incident in the workplace such as a sudden death, serious accident, violence or “near-miss”, the responsibility for managing the people aspects of Business Continuity – identifying those affected, and offering appropriate support – usually falls to line managers and team leaders but just how easy is it for them to recognise where support is needed? We have just written an article for Business Continuity professionals on this subject and you can read the full article at
When something happens that is distressing, unexpected and shocking, many people will experience a reaction that can be unpleasant, disturbing and potentially overwhelming. However, their internal reaction does not always look the same as what is displayed on the surface. We are all different. Reactions can seem to vary hugely from one person to another but underneath the surface the body and brain are attempting to resolve the memory of what happened in the same way.
For many complex reasons, recovery can be delayed or prevented. Symptoms can remain distressingly high, prevent usual functioning and even pose a risk to the safety of individuals and those around them.
Offering support to those affected is not as simple as offering “counselling.”
Research over many years consistently shows that
- Stigma leads to suppression and denial of a problem
- Those who most need help are least likely to seek it
- In the general population, less than half of people with mental health symptoms seek treatment. In high risk organisations such as the emergency services this can be around 30% meaning 70% do not access support.
Managing the psychological impact of a traumatic incident requires a good awareness and the commitment to spending time considering employees’ welfare. It’s ineffective to only consider a small range of reactions in a short range of time.
Learn more on this subject and read the full article at