Employee Focus and Work/Life Balance in the Aftermath of September 11th

Employee Focus and Work/Life Balance in the

Aftermath of September 11th

Sharon Ryan Montgomery, Psy.D.

Prior to September 11th

Prior to 9/11 people were expressing significant stress related to the pressures of balancing demands of their multiple roles in life.

The Out of Control Syndrome

Causes:– Two income families: 70% of women

with children ages 6-17 in the workforce.– High Divorce Rate: 50%– Increased Expectations: Quality of Life– Media

Causes Continued

– Communication Technology– Increased Standard of Living– Inflation: $250,000 – $300,000 per child

to 18 years of age.– Fewer Support Systems: mobility factor

Impact

Physical and emotional exhaustion and fatigue

Depletion Superficiality: going through motions of life; No quality

Time Management problems Physical and emotional problems

Impact Continued

Disconnection/Alienation Sexual Dysfunction: DINS Priority/Role Conflicts Faking-it Syndrome Parenting by Guilt

Cumulative Effect

The Stress Scale/Stress of Adjusting to Change

Personality Types that Stress Career/Family Balance

Perfectionistic/OCD Controllers Depressive High Anxiety/Worriers Guilt Driven Passive/Dependent, Non-Assertive Type A – Personality/Over Extenders Histrionic/Drama Queens Attention Deficit Disorder

Psychological Impact of 9/11 and the Recessed Economy

Unique Trauma:– Ambiguity of the feared object (enemy)– Lack of closure– Ongoing threats: terrorism, biochemical

attacks


Response to trauma is individualized. In part response is determined by:

– Intensity and reach of the trauma– Pre-morbid personality and temperment– Prior emotional/psychological problems

and stressors– History of prior losses, traumas, etc. –

Overload Phenomena– Existing support-systems


Immediate Reaction vs. Slow Simmer Effect

Normal Range of Responses to 9/11 – Still in Healing Stage

Feelings of vulnerability and insecurity: “un-easy life”

Anxiety: myriad of generalized and specific fears (flying, mail, etc.)

Control Issues: displaced Cognitive Disturbances: focus, concentration,

etc. Psychosomatic Complaints Depression and Grieving

Normal Range of Responses to 9/11 – Still in Healing Stage

Insomnia Alterations in Priorities – Life Style Changes

– Increased emphasis on family, friends and people connections.

– Better balance of work vs. family & leisure time.

– Increased desire for flexibility: job sharing, telecommuting, less travel.

Philosophical Shifts: no dress rehearsal to anarchy responses

Suggested Treatments

Unstigmatized individual counseling In-company educational programs and

support groups– Homogeneous very effective for these

types of reactions Alternative stress reduction

interventions (i.e. yoga, meditation, etc.)

Suggested Treatments

Emotional Responses: indicating need for referral for professional intervention.– EAP – Counseling – Support groups

Differential Diagnosis – Trauma Related Disturbances and

Their Symptoms

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – exposure to actual or perceived threat of death or injury.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Traumatic event is re-experienced:– Intrusive thoughts or memories– Nightmares/bad dreams– Flashbacks– Cue experiences (Psychological and

Physiological)


Avoidant Responses:– Of feelings, thoughts, or conversation

associated with trauma– Psychic numbing and detachment– Poor recall of specifics


Hyper-arousal Responses:– Insomnia– Irritability– Concentration problems– Hyper-vigilance– Startle reaction


Dissociative Responses:– Depersonalization or derealization – Fugue states– “Spacing out” or cognitive disengagement– Trance states– Amnesia or missing time– Identity alteration or confusion


Somatic Disturbances:– Conversion reactions (I.e. paralysis,

anesthesia, blindness, and deafeness)– Somatization– Psychogenic pain (I.e. pelvic pain, chronic

pain)


Sexual Disturbance:– Sexual Distress (including sexual

dysfunction)– Sexual fears and conflicts


Trauma-Related Cogntive Disturbance:– Low self-esteem– Helplessness– Hopelessness– Overvalued ideas regarding the level of

danger in the environment– Idealization of perpetrators


Tension-Reduction Activities (Briere, 1992a):– Self-mutiliation– Binging-purging– Dysfunctional sexual behavior (including

sex “addiction”)– Compulsive stealing– Impulsive violent behavior


Transient Post Traumatic Psychotic Reactions:– Stress-induced cognitive slippage,

loosened associations– Stress-induced hallucinations (often

trauma congruent)– Stress-induced delusions (often trauma

congruent – especially paranoia)

Suggestions for HR Managers

Keeping people busy and getting them back to work is important because it keeps their minds off of current events. – Urge employees to come to work and get

back into their routine wherever possible.


Educate managers about the possible anxiety problems and employee concerns. – Suggest tools or approaches they should

use.– Urge managers to talk directly to their

employees about these issues and respond rapidly to their requests.


Designate an HR person to be the primary contact for issues related the trauma.

Provide onsite or telephone “unstigmatized” counseling on individual and group basis.

Add information to your website which covers issues related to this event.


If individual workers are clearly being disruptive or disturbed (because of their anxiety) refer them to the appropriate counseling resource.

Contact your employees in international locations that may be at risk for terrorism or retaliation. Ask them what they need and respond rapidly to the requests.


Encourage employees who see harassment (of employees perceived to be from certain religious and ethnic groups) to report it immediately.– Remind employees of the penalties for

harassment.– Assign an HR professional to handle these

cases and identify any employees that may be “at risk” of violence or harassment.


Allow or even encourage workers to take time off to work for charities or to give blood, in order to meet their need to “do something” to help.

Be more flexible in requests for using sick leave and vacation.

Allow workers time to call friends and relatives to talk out their concerns.


Allow stressed workers to work at home or use sick days until their anxieties subside.

Allow workers to postpone or cancel business trips that require commercial flights if they are expressing significant fears.


Involve workers (or union) in the process of alleviating anxiety in order to lessen their fears and to get their “ownership” of the problem.

Tell employees that you will keep them informed about any events through e-mails or the loudspeaker, so they have no need to constantly listen to the “news”

Documents

Employee Focus and Work/Life Balance in the Aftermath of September 11th