The Workplace After a Disaster: Returning to Work and Corporate Psychological Support

How to rebuild the workplace after a disaster. Return to work after earthquakes and floods, psychological first aid and the steps employers can take.

The 6 February 2023 earthquakes changed the lives of millions of people in Turkey overnight. Homes, workplaces and schools were destroyed; people lost relatives, neighbours and colleagues. Even businesses in provinces not directly affected by the earthquake found themselves dealing with employees who had family in the region, who volunteered in the region, or who felt deep helplessness while following the news. Disasters such as floods, fires and landslides leave similar physical and psychological marks. Rebuilding the workplace after a disaster is not limited to repairing buildings and machinery; it also requires rebuilding people's sense of safety, their working routines and their trust in one another. In this article I look at employees' return-to-work process after a disaster, the points employers should pay attention to from a psychological perspective, and how a corporate support programme can be set up.

How Does a Disaster Affect Employees Psychologically?

A disaster shakes a person's basic belief that the world is a safe and predictable place. The effects of this shock vary greatly depending on how a person experienced the disaster, what they lost and how much support they found afterwards. The reactions commonly seen in employees after a disaster are as follows:

• Emotional reactions: Fear, anxiety, sadness, anger, guilt ("I survived but they didn't..."), helplessness and emotional numbness.
• Cognitive reactions: Distractibility, forgetfulness, difficulty making decisions, the event replaying again and again in the mind.
• Physical reactions: Sleep problems, fatigue, headaches and stomach aches, being startled, heart palpitations.
• Behavioural reactions: Avoiding certain places or situations (for example, not wanting to work in enclosed spaces or on upper floors), social withdrawal, increased alcohol and cigarette use.

Most of these reactions are ordinary reactions to an extraordinary event, and they ease over time in most people. In some employees, however, symptoms can last for weeks and months, impair daily functioning and develop into post-traumatic stress disorder, depression or anxiety disorders. For more information on this, you can take a look at the article on post-traumatic stress disorder.

In terms of working life, the effects of a disaster usually look like this: attention and focus decrease, the risk of errors and workplace accidents may rise, absenteeism goes up, and some employees have to move to other cities or choose to do so. There is also evidence that returning to work may be harder after serious traumatic experiences; for example, people who experience post-traumatic stress symptoms together with a musculoskeletal injury have been reported to have lower return-to-work rates (Lin et al., 2016; low-to-moderate quality evidence).

Who Is at Greater Risk in the Workplace After a Disaster?

Everyone is affected by a disaster, but some employees may need more intensive support:

• Employees who lost relatives, their home or their savings
• Employees who were injured or trapped under rubble during the disaster
• Employees who took part in search-and-rescue or relief work
• Employees who were also experiencing mental health difficulties before the disaster
• Employees who care for children, elderly parents or relatives with disabilities
• Employees living in temporary accommodation who have to travel long distances to get to work
• Managers working in the disaster region who are trying to cope with both their own losses and their work responsibilities

In the immediate aftermath of a disaster, the most affected employees are not always the ones who talk the most. Employees who go quiet, who keep apart from the team during breaks, or who were previously punctual but have started arriving late often also deserve careful observation. Managers tend to postpone their own grief and anxiety because they feel they have to "stay strong". Yet managers need support too; a manager who receives no support may not be able to give their team healthy support either.

Legal and Standards Framework

Law No. 6331 on Occupational Health and Safety places an obligation on the employer to ensure employees' work-related health and safety (Art. 4). Article 17 of the Law requires occupational health and safety (OHS) training to be renewed in line with changing and newly emerging risks. The Regulation on Risk Assessment requires psychosocial sources of hazard also to be identified and recorded (Art. 8). Carrying out an assessment after a disaster that takes into account employees' psychological state as well as the physical safety of the workplace is consistent with this framework.

The WHO and ILO's policy framework for mental health at work consists of the steps of prevention, protection and promotion, and support. The support step covers reasonable adjustments and return-to-work programmes for employees with mental health problems (WHO/ILO, 2022). Workplace arrangements after a disaster are a concrete application of this step.

Matters such as building safety, emergency planning, and pay and leave rights are subject to their own legislation and may differ according to the type of disaster and the situation of the business. For definitive information on these matters, I recommend consulting your occupational safety specialist and an employment law specialist.

Returning to the Workplace After a Disaster: What Employers Can Do, Step by Step

The first days: safety and basic needs

1. Prioritise physical safety. Do not let employees into the building until its usability has been assessed by experts. Announce clearly to employees that this assessment has been made; concern about safety is one of the biggest obstacles to returning to work.
2. Reach out to employees. Create a contact list to find out the situation of each employee and their family. Identify who needs what: housing, transport, health, financial support.
3. Provide practical support. After a disaster, people's most urgent needs are usually practical. Transport support, flexible working hours, salary advances or temporary housing support may come before psychological support.
4. Apply psychological first aid. The WHO's psychological first aid guide recommends the principles of Look, Listen, Link: noticing who needs support, listening without pressure to those who want to talk, and linking people to practical needs and sources of support (WHO, 2011). Psychological first aid is not professional counselling; trained managers and employees can also apply these principles.

The first weeks: a gradual return

• Make a flexible and gradual return plan. Do not expect everyone to return to full capacity at the same time. Part-time work, flexible hours or temporary changes of duties can be considered.
• Do not force employees to talk. Although it may seem well-intentioned to gather everyone together after a disaster and ask them to describe what they experienced in detail, it is not a recommended method. The WHO recommends that psychological debriefing not be given to people who have recently been exposed to a traumatic event (WHO mhGAP, 2012/2013). Offering voluntary and confidential support is a better approach.
• Re-establish routine. Regular working hours, familiar tasks and being together with teammates are an important part of regaining a sense of safety for many people. Work, in the right dose, can offer a healing structure.
• Pay extra attention to workplace safety. Distractibility and fatigue can increase the risk of workplace accidents. In this period, additional checks on risky tasks, more frequent breaks and teamwork are important.

The following months: monitoring and long-term support

• Monitor employees' situation at regular intervals. Short one-to-one conversations between managers and their teams make it possible to notice those who need support early.
• Refer to specialist support. Refer employees whose symptoms are still intense after weeks, or whose functioning is impaired, to a specialist assessment while protecting confidentiality. Trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy is among the approaches frequently used for post-trauma symptoms.
• Be prepared for anniversaries. The anniversary of the disaster can be a difficult time for many employees. Remembrance, flexibility and reminders of the support available can be planned for these dates.
• Support managers. Create a space where managers can share their own fatigue and grief.

Working parents and families

After a disaster, children's schools may close, care arrangements may be disrupted, and children may also show reactions such as fear, sleep problems or being unable to separate from a parent. Working parents in this period are trying to cope with both their own anxieties and their children's needs. Flexible hours, short-term leave or the option of remote working can make it easier for these employees to return to work. Short information sessions on how to talk to children about the disaster in an age-appropriate way can also help families.

Employees who have relocated or moved to remote working

Some employees may be forced to move to another city after a disaster. These employees are trying to adapt to a new environment while also experiencing a sense of disconnection from the team and loneliness. Regular online meetings, the option of joining team meetings remotely and brief but regular contact from the manager help preserve a sense of belonging.

Returning to the workplace after a disaster is not just starting work again; it is being able to believe once more that you are safe.

Imagine a textile factory in a province affected by the earthquake that reopens after the building has been reported safe. On the first day, management gathers all employees in the garden; it explains the building safety report and the measures that have been taken, announces transport and flexible working options, and tells people how they can arrange confidential psychological support sessions. A few employees who find it hard to work on the upper floors are temporarily given tasks on the ground floor. This approach makes employees feel both that they are safe and that their needs have been seen.

Solidarity and Meaning in Workplace Culture After a Disaster

Alongside being painful, disasters can also awaken a strong sense of solidarity in people. The way many businesses, after the 6 February earthquakes, organised relief campaigns with their employees, sent supplies to the region or supported affected colleagues is an example of this solidarity. Joint efforts of this kind can reduce feelings of helplessness and strengthen the team's commitment to one another.

However, care is also needed to make sure solidarity does not turn into pressure. Not every employee may want to contribute in the same way, or they may be preoccupied with their own losses. It is important that participation is voluntary and that different ways of grieving and recovering are respected. After a disaster, some employees want to return to work quickly while others need more time; both reactions are normal.

How Do You Get Started in Your Organisation?

Workplace support after a disaster is far more effective when it is planned before a disaster occurs. In a country with a high earthquake risk like Turkey, this preparation is meaningful for every business.

1. Needs analysis: Check whether your emergency plan includes the psychological support and communication dimensions. Determine how you will reach employees after a disaster, what practical support you can offer and which organisations or specialists you will work with. If you have experienced a disaster before, evaluate with employees what worked well at that time and what was missing.

2. Programme: Provide psychological first aid training to managers and volunteer employees. Prepare post-disaster communication templates, a gradual return plan and a list of support resources. In the WHO's guidelines on mental health at work, training for managers in mental health stands out as the recommendation with the strongest evidence (WHO, 2022). For details on this subject, you can also take a look at the article on communicating with employees in a crisis.

3. Measurement: In the post-disaster period, monitor absenteeism, workplace accidents and near misses, resignations and use of support services. After a few months, ask employees in a short anonymous survey whether the support offered was sufficient, and update your plan accordingly.

You can find corporate psychological support options after disasters and crises on the corporate services page.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should employees return to work after a disaster?

There is no single answer that applies to everyone. Once building safety has been ensured, the healthiest approach is to make a gradual and flexible return plan that takes employees' basic needs and personal circumstances into account. On matters such as leave and pay rights, it is appropriate to consult an employment law specialist.

Should psychological support be mandatory for all employees after a disaster?

No. Psychological support should be voluntary and confidential. Rather than forcing employees to talk, a better approach is to announce clearly how they can reach support and to enable managers to notice changing behaviour and gently guide people.

Which signs after a disaster call for specialist support?

If the event keeps replaying in the mind, nightmares, intense avoidance, constantly being on guard, long-lasting low mood and impaired daily functioning are still continuing after weeks, a specialist assessment is needed. If there are thoughts of self-harm, call 112 (emergency services) without delay.

Do employees not directly affected by the disaster also need support?

Yes. Employees who have relatives in the disaster region, who follow the news intensively or who took part in relief work can also be indirectly affected. It is important that these employees too are made aware of the sources of support.

• #earthquake
• #crisis management
• #psychological first aid
• #return to work

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Eda Erkan Alapala

Klinik Psikolog. İstanbul Kent Üniversitesi Klinik Psikoloji Tezli Yüksek Lisans mezunu; bilişsel davranışçı terapi, çocuk merkezli oyun terapisi ve çocuk-ergen psikoterapisi alanlarında eğitimlerini tamamlamıştır.

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