RETURN TO PRODUCTIVITY AFTER WORKPLACE TRAGEDY Crisis Leadership During Acute Traumatic Stress

1. RETURN TO PRODUCTIVITY AFTER WORKPLACE TRAGEDY Crisis Leadership During Acute Traumatic Stress BOB VANDEPOL CRISIS CARE NETWORK

4. More than a Job There is no greater honor and no greater responsibility than to be there on the worst day of someone’s life. We must do it well.

5. Business Continuity and Recovery There is no business recovery without people who: • Are healthy enough to return to work and be productive • Are assured enough of their safety to not feel afraid to return to work • Have had their trust in the leadership established so that they desire to return to work • Have had their loyalty rewarded so they remain employees over the short haul and the long haul

6. The High Cost of Workplace Tragedy Human and Financial Costs Employer Concerns • Fulfilling Duty to provide a safe workplace • Protecting Brand & Other Assets • Assuring Public that they are safe • Responding to Regulatory Agencies • Identifying Cause and taking action • Resuming Operation ASAP due to Productivity Pressures • Controlling Losses • Demonstrating Care for their Employees

7. Do the Right Thing….. ….and it’s good for business. Mitigate Risk: • Litigation • Attrition • Workers Comp claims • Message sent to staff • Reputational risk • Lost productivity

9. Impact not Incident

10. Physiological/Neurological Response Fight! Flight! Freeze!

11. World View Self-View

12. Self-View Predicts Outcome • Darn! Wrong place. Wrong Time vs. They picked me because I’m weak. • Whew! Grateful to be alive vs. This kind of stuff always happens to me. • Normal reaction to an abnormal event vs. I’m a weak wimp.

13. My View of My Employer Predicts Outcome • We are the Hokies vs. We are the Victims • This company cares about me vs. I’m just a number. • My boss knows her stuff vs. My boss is clueless.

15. Believe in Resilience Sources: Ursano, 2002; Institute of Medicine, 2003 Fear and Distress Response Behaviour Change Psychiatric Illness

16. Insurance Claims Handling Values the Impact of Immediate Response • Recent studies show a significant increase in total claims cost on claims reported late. When comparing the average claim cost to claims reported late (4 days or more), costs were from 30%-40% more than claims reportedly timely. Each week of delay results in about a 10% increase in costs. Liberty Mutual reported: Report Lag Impact on Average Claim Costs 4-7 days 3% 8-14 days 6% 15-21 days 15% 22-28 days 26% 29+ days > 40% *Based on Liberty Mutual Group data Reporting Workers’ Compensation Claims – 2011 – Article 1

17. Phase-Sensitive Approach • Fear Safety • Isolation Connectivity • Chaos Structure • Helplessness Efficacy • Victim Survivor 17

18. CIR “Job Description” • Consult with the organization’s leadership • Position the company’s leadership favorably • Let people talk if they wish to do so • Identify normal reactions to an abnormal event so that people don’t panic regarding their own reactions • Build group support • Outline self-help recovery strategies • Brainstorm solutions to overcome immediate return-to-work and return-to-life obstacles • Triage movement toward either immediate business-as-usual functioning or additional care

19. Acknowledge and name the trauma Communicate pertinent information with competence and compassion Transition to adaptive functioning and/or refer to additional care Leadership in Times of Crisis – ACT!

20. Make a Difference