Helping an Employee Recover from an Assault

Being assaulted on the job can lead not only to physical injury, but also to emotional distress. Recovery with return to job effectiveness requires not only the assistance of professional experts such as physicians and psychotherapists, but also the enlightened support of supervisors and co-workers.

The role of the immediate supervisor is especially important, because that person most powerfully represents the organization to the employee. The supervisor needs to convey personal concern for the employee as well as the concern of the organization, and a sense of the employee's unique importance to the work group and its mission. The following guidelines have proved helpful in these situations:

If the employee is hospitalized, visit, send cards, and convey other expressions of concern. It is important that the employee not feel abandoned. The nursing staff can advise you of the length and type of interaction most appropriate. If the person is quite ill, a very brief visit and a few words of concern may be enough. As recovery continues, sharing news from the office will help the person continue to feel a part of the organization.

Encourage co-workers to show support. At some point the employee will need to tell the story of the assault, probably more than once, and may find it easier to discuss this with co-workers who are familiar with the work setting and may have had similar experiences. Co-workers can help significantly by listening in a caring way, showing support and avoiding any second guessing of the situation. Being assaulted is not only physically painful; it can make the world feel like a cold, frightening place. Simple expressions of kindness from friends and co-workers—a visit, a card game, a funny book, a favorite magazine—can help the person regain a sense of safety.

Help the employee's family. If the employee has a family, they may need support as well. If the situation has received media attention, the family may need assistance in screening phone calls and mail. Other kinds of help, such as caring for children while a spouse visits the hospital, can go a long way in showing that the work group cares for its members.

Plan the employee's return to work. The supervisor, employee, employee/labor relations specialist, and health care providers need to work together to plan the employee's return to work. Here are some important points to consider:

• There is truth in the old saying about "getting back on the horse that just threw you," and it can be helpful to get back to the crucial place or activity in a timely manner. The sooner the employee can return, the easier it will be to rejoin the group, and the employee will have missed out on less of the current information needed for effective job performance. However, it is important not to expose the employee to too much stress at once. A flexible approach, for example, part-time work, a different assignment at first, or assignment of a co-worker for support, can often help the employee overcome anxiety and recover self-confidence and may allow the employee to return to work sooner than would otherwise be possible.
  
  
• The employee's physical needs must be clarified with health care providers, e.g., the supervisor and employee should understand precisely what is meant by phrases such as "light work." If the employee looks different, from wearing a cast or having visible scars, it is helpful to prepare other employees for this in advance. Advance thought needs to be given to any new environmental needs the employee may have, such as wheelchair access or a place to lie down during the day.
  
  
• Working out a flexible plan for a recovering employee may take time and energy in the short run, but that effort will be repaid in the long run by retaining an experienced employee as an integral part of the work group.

Offer counseling. Counseling services should be offered through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and with the attitude that it is perfectly natural to use such professional resources in the aftermath of a traumatic experience. Supervisors and EAP personnel should work together to make the experience as convenient and non-bureaucratic as possible. However, individual preferences and differences should be respected. Some employees find that they can recover from the effects of the experience with the help of their friends, family, and co-workers. Others may not feel the need for counseling until weeks have passed and they realize that they are not recovering as well as they would like.

Make career counseling and other forms of assistance available if the employee decides to change jobs. Even with excellent support, employees who have been assaulted sometimes feel, "It just isn't worth it," and decide to transfer to a safer occupation. The employee should be encouraged not to make such an important decision in haste, but career counseling and other forms of assistance should be made available. Supervisors and co-workers who have tried to help the employee may need reassurance that their efforts contributed to the individual's recovery, and that the decision is not a rejection of them.