The ultimate impact of a crisis, in costs to a company and its people, is determined by how that crisis was addressed before, during and after an actual event. Every individual in an organization will be affected by a crisis in one way or another. That being said, it is essential that an organization remains a place of safety and solace for its most valuable assets: Employees.
Unfortunately, in the stressful and chaotic environment of a disaster, organizations can overlook the deep impact a crisis can have on the psychological health of its victims. In order to ensure that employees are granted a smooth transition into post-incident life, organizations must recognize the responsibility they have for maintaining the psychological health of their workforce.
Fortunately, organizations already have a resource on hand that is equipped to manage their human capital: The human resources department. Human resources can play a significant role in the context of people support in the event of an organizational crisis. Because human resource professionals are responsible for ensuring the well-being of the employee population, it is particularly important that they are properly trained to assist employees before, during and after a crisis in the workplace.