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**A LifeCare^^ Digest On Helping Employees Cope With Tragedy**

The recent incidents of terrorism have left the nation struggling to
manage in the aftermath. Dealing with a national tragedy in the
workplace is also a challenging task faced by managers and supervisors.
This digest offers tips and information on how to manage tragedy in the
workplace---and how to help grieving employees.

# Communicating with Employees

Communicating with your employees about the tragedy and how it has
affected your organization is essential. Here are some helpful
communication tips:

-   Update employees on any relevant news or information
    (closings/openings, security issues, alternate work sites, etc.) via
    e-mail, your intranet, voice-mail messages, meetings or other
    mediums that have proven effective within your organization. Be sure
    to keep remote employees and other employees who may be traveling
    and unable to get back home up to date as well.

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-   If your workplace has been dramatically affected, consider
    contacting the Justice Management Division (JMD) Employee Assistance
    Program (EAP) @ 800-626-0385 and request trained counselors to be on
    hand to help returning employees cope.

-   Be sensitive to new employees who may not have strong support
    systems with co-workers.

-   Call the JMD EAP to obtain and distribute flyers and other
    promotional materials to remind them how to obtain counseling.

-   Remind them of other helpful resources such as LifeCare^^, Inc.
    that can provide information and referrals on grief, managing work
    and life, emergency services, backup child and adult care and more.

-   Communicate with injured employees, and make sure they receive facts
    pertaining to how the Department of Justice (DOJ) is addressing
    employee concerns. Discuss injured employees' preferences in terms
    of how DOJ should communicate information about their condition.

-   If you have experienced the loss of an employee, communicate with
    victims' families and send condolences. Again, consider calling the
    JMD EAP to request that grief counselors are on-site to help
    employees cope with the loss.

**Tips for Managers**

While all employees will respond differently to the tragedy, many
employees may be distracted, less focused, and, as a result, less
productive at work. Managers need to be supportive of employees while
also trying to achieve business goals. Here are some basic tips that may
help managers during this time:

-   Utilize internal resources such as your Personnel Director for
    guidance and support.

-   Be as flexible as possible with employees. Some employees may need
    extra time off of work to grieve, take care of loved ones, or
    recover from the tragedy. Others may need flexible schedules to
    accommodate difficulties with transportation. Consider annual leave,
    family medical leave, reduced or flexible schedules, work-from-home
    arrangements, or other accommodations that may help your employees
    function better at work and at home.

-   Readjust priorities and deadlines as much as possible---and keep
    work expectations realistic. Employees who are stressed and shocked
    from the tragedy, may not be able to handle usual pressures,
    workload, and deadlines.

-   Remember that problems with e-mail, phone systems, intranets, etc.
    caused by the damage may impede business for some time. Consider
    alternative methods of communication whenever possible.

-   Be supportive of employees who want to listen to the radio
    occasionally watch television to keep abreast of the situation. Keep
    in mind, this may go on for weeks as we hear of new government
    developments involving this situation.

-   Express your thanks and appreciation to employees who are able to
    work and be patient with employees who may need more time to fully
    recover.

-   Remember to take care of yourself. As a manager, you need to
    maintain a sense of professionalism while you too are trying to cope
    with the tragedy. Take time out for yourself, network with other
    colleagues, and take advantage of helpful services available to you.

**How to Help Grieving Employees**

Grieving and dealing with a tragedy is a personal and unique process but
there are ways of helping employees grieve and cope. Keep in mind that
even employees, who may have not directly suffered the loss of a loved
one, may be grieving and feeling vulnerable, frightened and depressed.
Don't be surprised if grieving affects and distorts work habits. The
following tips may provide guidance on how to help grieving employees:

-   Effectively manage and support grieving employees while also paying
    attention to the need to get on with the business of business. All
    employees, in some sense, may be grieving or feeling a sense of loss
    for everyone in the country who died in this tragedy.

-   Make sure managers understand all the resources available to
    employees and provide guidance and training on how they should
    respond to employees who may be experiencing difficulties coping.
    Call the DOJ EAP for training in this area.

-   Encourage employees to find support groups and counseling resources.
    Support groups give individuals the opportunity to express feelings
    with others who are willing to listen, and who are experiencing
    similar emotions. To locate a support group, employees can call the
    JMD EAP or LifeCare at 800-873-4636 for information or referrals; or
    check with local hospitals, community centers and religious
    organizations for information on support groups.

-   Remind and refer grieving employees to appropriate support services
    such as their EAP.

-   Organize a workplace memorial or schedule a special time (e.g.,
    lunchtime, just before or after work) to gather employees to honor
    the person(s) who died or were injured. If your employees have died,
    you may also want to designate a specific place where co-workers can
    leave notes, flowers, pictures or other special items.

-   Remind employees of the JMD EAP web for resources on grieving. For
    your convenience, we've attached a suggested reading list at the end
    of this digest.

Keep in mind that emotional and physical reactions to a traumatic event
may not appear immediately. Sometimes they may appear hours, days or
even weeks or months after the event. The signs and symptoms of a stress
reaction may last a few days, a few weeks, months or possibly longer
depending on the severity of the event. Keep the lines of communication
open, remind employees to seek help as needed, and do your best to
create a supportive environment in these difficult times.

# Additional Resources

The following resources may also assist you and your employees to deal
with the tragic aftermath of this event.

**Web sites**

American Psychological Association

750 First Street N.E.

Washington, DC 20002

202-336-5500

http://www.apa.org

A nonprofit organization that provides information and referrals to
state associations that can help you find local clinical psychologists.

American Self-Help Clearinghouse

Northwest Covenant Medical Center

Denville, NJ 07834-2995

201-625-9565

http://www.cmhc.com/selfhelp/

This national organization provides information on local self-help group
clearinghouses worldwide, which can help you find and form bereavement
self-help groups. The American Self-Help Clearinghouse also provides
free consultation on starting new self-help groups.

National Self-Help Clearinghouse

25 W. 43rd Street, Room 620

New York, NY 10036

212-642-2944

http://www.selfhelpweb.org

This nonprofit, national service refers individuals to self-help support
groups all over the United States. It will help you locate a support
group in your area or refer you to a clearinghouse that will help you
locate one.

### GriefNet

GriefNet is an online system that can connect you with a variety of
resources related to death, dying, bereavement, and major emotional and
physical losses. It offers retrievable information and interactive
communication facilities---discussion and support groups---all for
bereaved persons.

**Books:**

*Grief in the Workplace: 40 Hours Plus Overtime*, by Johnette Harnett.
South Burlington, Vt.: Mouring Press, 1993.

This book offers practical, down-to-earth advice for co-workers,
employers and employees on easing stress and offering real help to
bereaved friends in the workplace.

*How to Go on Living When Someone You Love Dies*, by Therese A. Rando,
Ph.D. New York: Lexington, 1998.

Dr. Rando leads readers through the process of grieving, addressing such
topics as understanding and resolving grief, accepting help and support,
and personal bereavement rituals.

*How We Grieve: Relearning the World*, by Thomas Attig. New York: Oxford
University Press, 1996.

The author uses real-life stories to illustrate how survivors can meet
challenges, make critical choices and reshape their lives through
grieving.

*I'm Grieving As Fast As I Can**,*** by Linda Feinberg. New Horizons
Press, 1994.

This book provides comfort and understanding for dealing with the
difficult feelings that arise after an untimely death.

*No Time for Goodbyes: Coping With Sorrow, Anger and Injustice After
Tragic Death*, by Jannis Haris Lord. Ventura, Calif.: Pathfinder
Publishing of California, 1991.

This book addresses the impact a tragic death has on surviving loved
ones, and discussed grief, mourning, the criminal justice system and
coping with tragic loss.

As always, LifeCare specialists are also available 24 hours a day to
provide information and referrals.

This LifeCare^®^ Digest is for general informational purposes only and
is not intended to provide any reader with specific authority, advice or
recommendations.

Copyright © 2001 LifeCare^®^, Inc. All rights reserved.

LifeCare^®^, Inc. is a worldwide leader in Life Event Management^SM^
Services.

LifeCare, Inc.

PO Box 2783

Westport, CT 06880

800-873-4636

http://www.lifecare.com