Workplace Trauma: How it Looks For Us All.
photo credit - Annie Spratt via unsplash
When people think about what trauma is, they normally imagine some earth shattering / life changing event. Vets and first responders are more susceptible to these scenarios due to their job description and the events they encounter throughout their day or in theatre. But what about non veteran or first responders, or even vets and first responders working in a different setting? Maybe they have a toxic boss that has poor leadership skills that chips away at your confidence. Or a workload that is never ending that leaves you burned out at the end of every day. Or being passed up constantly because, “it’s not what you know, but who you know.”.
Workplace trauma is not limited to only “dangerous” professions. In a previous blog post I talked about what trauma is and causes of it, you can find that here. However, Trauma can happen in every occupation as it is very personal and subjective. It can cause depression, anxiety, and burnout; leading to absenteeism, conflict amongst employees and reduced productivity.
What is workplace trauma?
Workplace trauma, career trauma, workplace PTSD; all of these are one in the same; they are an emotional response to negative events that happen at our place of employment. Some examples of these events can include; accidents, exposure to a toxic/ hostile work environment, and natural disasters.
These traumatic events are usually overwhelming for the individual and exceed their stress tolerance threshold. Examples include, being fired unfairly, dealing with workplace bullying or, in extreme cases, being a victim in a workplace violence event. It is important to remember that each of us has a stress tolerance threshold and everyone handles these situations differently and are able to handle different levels of stress before it takes a toll.
There are many factors that come into play when we talk about how well someone handles stress. A person’s emotional resilience, situational control, and support network in or outside of the workplace during a stressful time. There is a concept that goes by many names or labels; “Stress Bucket”, “Threshold of Stress”, “Stress Cup”, I will use the “Stress Cup”.
A person’s stress cup is a metaphorical cup that slowly fills as they experience different stresses in their life. The more stress you have in your personal life, history of trauma or a smaller support system; you may have less room in your cup than your colleagues for workplace challenges before it spills over. When that happens, even the smallest stressors can feel overwhelming, and coping with them in ways that you normally do becomes harder than usual.
The important thing to remember with this concept is not to increase the size of your cup, but how often you empty it. Setting boundaries at work, self – care activities that help you to unwind or “recharge your batteries”, or reaching out to your support network when needed. The key to this is recognizing when your cup is getting too full and taking steps to pour some of the stress out before it overflows.
The Causes of Workplace Trauma
Although many events and situations can contribute to workplace trauma, here are the most common causes:
Job roles that deal with tragedy and death: Working closely with death, tragedy, and accidents in frontline roles – such as doctors, nurses, EMTs, rescue workers, other first responders, and soldiers in combat.
Toxic workplace culture: Being encouraged to work constantly, engaging in “hustle culture,” and being pressured into not taking time off.
Bullying: Others abusing power to intimidate, degrade, humiliate, or threaten.
Job insecurity: Thinking you could lose your job, which can come from layoffs happening around you, fearing your role becomes obsolete, or feeling inadequate.
Being laid off: Losing your job, especially when it was no fault of your own and simply the result of a company restructuring.
Sudden role changes: Feeling insecure, uncertain, or panicked after sudden changes to your activities and responsibilities.
Harassment or verbal abuse: Being yelled at, demeaned, or patronized (especially in front of others).
Violence or physical abuse: Physical harm, property damage, or even sexual abuse.
Natural disaster on the job: Experiencing a fire, earthquake, or hurricane during work.
Accidents or injuries at work: Hazardous conditions such as poor working environments or on-the-job risks (e.g., construction or factory accidents).
Serious injury or death of a colleague: Witnessing or being involved in a colleague’s accident, injury, or death.
If this sounds familiar for you or someone you know, I can help. Reach out…