People who have experienced a disaster may have special recovery needs.
- Encourage adequate food, rest and recreation.
- Provide for time at home to care for family needs, if necessary.
- Have an open door policy that facilitates seeking care when needed.
- Create opportunities for breaks where co-workers can talk openly about their fears and hopes. Sharing with others can speed personal recovery.
- Reassure one another that families will be supported. Worries about family well-being can consume workers who have experienced a disaster.
- Re-establish routines, when possible. Workplace routines facilitate recovery by providing an opportunity to be active and to restore social contact.
- Offer professional counselors to help co-workers address their fears and anxieties.
- Once the need to listen for emergency instructions has passed, limit television, radio and other external stresses.
- Take care of yourself. Leaders tend to experience added stress after a disaster. Your personal health and recovery is important to your family and your employees.
