Managing employees in turbulent times
STEPHEN HEIDEL
San Diego Daily Transcript , Wednesday, October 24, 2001
The events since Sept. 11 have touched all of us and changed the world we live in. Not only did the United States sustain its worst terrorist attack ever, it actually occurred within our borders and brought down several of the symbols of our way of life.
Since then massive layoffs have been announced, the financial markets have declined, our military and national guard units have been mobilized, bombing in Afghanistan has begun and exposure and infection to anthrax has occurred in several locations. We can only guess what will happen next.
There is a high level of anxiety in the workplace. Employees have reacted with a variety of emotions, including feeling vulnerable, insecure, angry and fearful. Many are distracted and are having a hard time concentrating. Employee fears include the safety of tall buildings, flying in airplanes, seeing white powder that may simply be sugar, chalk or something more sinister.
It has always been important for organizations to maintain an environment that is conducive to their employees working productively. During turbulent times employers will have to think more about this and work harder to maintain such an environment. Employers should take reasonable steps to support employees while containing their anxiety so they will be able to continue to function effectively. Since we are dealing with such unusual and unprecedented events, companies and their managers are being put to the test like never before. How should managers respond when their employees come to work with heightened anxiety? Examples of distressed employee behavior and appropriate manager responses include:
- A sales director expressed a reluctance to fly, though his job required traveling several times each month. His boss told him not to fly for several weeks, but made it clear that this was not a long-term option. They kept talking and after two weeks the sales director agreed to resume flying, but on a reduced schedule for the next month.
- An accounting executive said she rarely remembered her dreams but recently had several nightmares. Each of them awakened her and she was unable to get a good night's sleep. Her manager listened to her comments and acknowledged that everyone was a little on edge. There was no further discussion about this and no problem with her performance.
- A woman felt extremely anxious. She worried excessively about her extended family, had difficulty sleeping and was tearful. Her ability to concentrate was also significantly impaired. After mentioning this to her manager several times and when there was no indication that her feelings were subsiding, her manager recommended she call the employee assistance program. The employee saw a counselor and admitted she was drinking more heavily since Sept. 11. She began attending AA meetings and within several days was feeling better and her concentration improved.
- A production worker made racial statements to several Middle Eastern coworkers. He told them that Afghanistan and the Muslims were to blame for the World Trade Center attack and they all deserved to die. His manager gave him a written warning, suspended him for two days, and asked him to apologize to his coworkers before he returned to work. He was also encouraged to seek counseling.
- Several employees became extremely upset when someone reported a mysterious white powder in the restroom. This resulted in an evacuation of the building while health officials cleared the area and tested the powder, which was sugar. There was such turmoil after this event that the manager asked an employee assistance program counselor to come onsite and facilitate a group discussion with the work group that was impacted by this incident. Employees expressed a range of emotions from anxiety to anger. The employees agreed to try to remain calm and use common sense when confronted with situations in the workplace. They asked their company to set up a protocol for dealing with unusual substances. The company agreed to do that and to perform a general security audit for the whole organization.
Companies need to recognize this type of behavior and respond appropriately. An under reaction will certainly not solve the problem and may turn employees against their company. If a manager has no tolerance for an employee's emotional reactions caused by the recent events, the employee may view their manager as unsupportive or cold.
The employee may resent their boss and be unwilling to give 100 percent to get an important task completed. This could show up in not doing their best work, responding to a customer in a perfunctory manner, or deciding to look elsewhere for a job.
On the other hand, it is not appropriate for a manager to overreact. A manager should not use this as an opportunity to express all the fears he or she has experienced since the events of Sept. 11. Each manager needs to find the right balance. It is important to convey concern and compassion when an employee expresses these feelings, but not to fan the flames of hysteria.
These turbulent times will continue to put companies and their managers to the test. They will be asked to respond to raw emotions like they have never been asked before. Responding appropriately will go a long way to calming their employees, creating loyalty, and allowing their employees to return to previous levels of productivity.