Today’s Tip

How to Support Employees After Violence Against Their Community When violent attacks targeting a specific race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or other community are highly publicized, it can cause psychological trauma for people who share an identity with the victim(s). How can you support your employees who feel unsafe in the world because of their social identities? Cultivate a culture of psychological safety. Foster an environment where conversations about race, religion, and other aspects of identity are commonplace and where employees feel comfortable sharing their experiences with identity-based trauma. Supporting your people starts with understanding what they’re going through. Encourage rest and recovery. Acknowledge the traumatic nature of current events for those who share an identity with the victim(s). Ask those employees what they need, and be prepared to give them time and space to heal. Create and empower employee affinity networks. These groups may allow people to develop a support system within the organization, which they can then turn to for solidarity in the wake of violent news. This tip is adapted from “Supporting Employees After Violence Against Their Community,” by Angelica Leigh and Shimul Melwani