Chapter 5
Guiding Managers and HR Staff

This chapter covers the following topics:

• How First Interstate’s Human Resources team developed specialized training programs for HR staff, line managers, workers’ compensation/risk insurance staff, and internal employee assistance counselors to increase awareness of the behavioral issues that could arise from the trauma of the building fire
• The definition of roles and responsibilities in a new coaching and counseling system that balanced the special needs of employees with the need to protect the company from needless workers’ compensation claims and other liabilities
• How communications partners with HR

Overview

After the First Interstate fire, we had to relocate all employees quickly to new work sites. As we HR leaders dealt with employees’ confusion, frustration, fear, and anger, we realized that we needed to take some direct and positive actions. We had to smooth the way for employees at all levels to learn how to deal with the situation directly, especially the trauma they were experiencing, so they could get back to work.

As we debriefed the events as a group, we realized we had to avoid getting caught up in what some people refer to as hindsight bias—how we thought we should have acted, once we knew what had actually happened with the fire, the recovery, and the restoration. After all, the fire required us to act quickly in a dynamic situation.81 Disasters by their very nature require you to dive into the unknown and take action. We had our priorities straight: ensuring that everyone was safe. And we fought rather than fled, which was the right thing to do.

Enlisting Expertise

We acknowledged that we needed professional help to equip ourselves, our managers, and our employees to deal effectively with the trauma caused by the fire. So we brought in Dr. Mory Framer, a specialist in trauma response and recovery. He had been instrumental in counseling a large contingent of search-and-rescue workers who had been assigned to grisly airplane and ferry crashes.

Dr. Framer’s advice was twofold: first, take care of your employees; and second, take care of your organization. By taking care of the organization, leaders could ameliorate potential workers’ compensation claims and other costs.

As a result of all the disasters we faced, First Interstate discovered other business benefits to taking care of employees first and the business second. These include employees returning to work so that the business can operate, preserving or even improving the company’s reputation, and generating good will among employees and customers, which can help the company’s bottom line over time. Other companies have also experienced these benefits.

Developing Special Employee Relations Training Programs

Dr. Framer designed and developed targeted training programs for employees in several departments: HR employee relationship managers, line managers, the medical group, the workers’ compensation staff, and the Employee Assistance Program, which was an internal group. We also restated the responsibilities of these groups so we would all be clear on who would be doing what for the near term. Those statements are included at the end of this chapter.

Following is a synopsis of the training, with some suggestions on additional issues you may wish to consider.

Human Resources

HR staff received training in several techniques. Although HR professionals know how to mediate employee relations issues, they may not always know how to confront the behavioral underpinnings of stress, abject fear, anger, ennui, depression, or any of the stages of the grieving process—all of which disasters can trigger.

We learned to intervene early so that we could help supervisors and employees come to grips with personal or interpersonal issues that either stemmed from the fire or were exacerbated by it.

We also worked on our skills for evaluating why the performance of some employees began to deteriorate after the incident. We took into consideration the pressures caused by the fire—dislocation from one’s work space and other inconveniences that the employee may have been experiencing that could be contributing to a decline in performance. For example, had the employee been in a fire before? We received additional training on how and when to refer employees to the EAP.

Managers and Supervisors

Managerial and supervisory personnel received special training on how to reduce stress and tension at their work sites. They were encouraged to spend lots of face time with their employees by holding frequent all-hands meetings as well as one-on-one sessions. Managers and supervisors learned the importance of asking their employees about their situations, including how they were coping and how they felt about their working conditions, workloads, and other aspects of their jobs.

Managers and supervisors were also urged to give their staff members “mental health days” that would not count against their vacation or sick days. We also persuaded them to schedule departmental potlucks, picnics, ice cream breaks, pizza parties, and other gatherings to break the tension and have a bit of fun. For example, one department made a practice of taking lunch breaks out of the office, riding a downtown shuttle together for a change of scenery and different types of food.

Back then, managers and their employees often worked side by side. These days, a manager is often responsible for employees in multiple locations spread all over the world. That poses its own set of challenges when a disaster strikes. Nonetheless, one of the 83 lessons we learned is that people want and need to spend time together. So if you’re a manager who’s not physically with your people, try to travel and be with them as much as possible. And for the times when you can’t make it, ask people in the remote locale to gather together. Just make sure they don’t spend all their time together wallowing in the hardship that befell them. It’s fine to spend a little time in “pity city,” but you must then switch the conversation to other issues, including planning for the future.

The managerial training also addressed employee performance issues. Managers learned to take additional time to examine why an employee’s performance was declining. We discouraged them from jumping immediately into the disciplinary process. We also had them learn more about the Employee Assistance Program and the importance of referring a troubled employee to a counselor immediately following the detection of a behavioral or stress-induced problem.

Chapter 6 includes instructions for dealing with specific behavioral conditions caused by trauma. These instructions will work in any trauma situation. At the bank, we put great emphasis on reporting, not because we were the ultimate “personnel police,” but because we needed the paper trail for business protection purposes.

Employee Assistance

Employee assistance staff received supplementary training to identify signs and symptoms of delayed or post-traumatic stress syndrome. They learned applicable therapeutic techniques and how to identify the most appropriate sources of outside support and expertise for extreme cases.

For example, about two weeks after the fire, HR staff learned that two employees had been working on the 16th floor late the night the fire broke out below them, on the 12th floor. They smelled and saw smoke and assumed it was related to the welding project that was under way to retrofit the sprinkler system. (To our horror, we also learned belatedly that the sprinkler system had been shut off at night while this retrofitting was occurring.)

As the smoke thickened and turned black, the two employees realized something dreadful was happening. They hopped in an elevator, which—amazingly—took them through the fire to the lobby. They then ran outside through the thick, dark, suffocating 84 smoke to the street. It was only then that they saw flames shooting out of the building, felt hot glass shards hitting them, and discovered they were in the midst of a fire.

Their trauma started soon after. When we learned of their plight two weeks later, we arranged for comprehensive psychological counseling with extensive follow-up. They slowly recovered and overcame their nightmares, and were able to return to a productive level of work.

But their fear and trauma came rushing back when they were assigned to the 37th floor of the building, in the exact place where two other employees had been trapped and then rescued. Scratch marks were visible all over the windows where they had tried unsuccessfully to break the glass.

With one phone call, the trauma counselor came back on site immediately to help them along with all the other employees on that floor. The counselor helped them learn to deal with the daily reminders of not just one but two frightening experiences.

Workers’ Compensation Department

Staff responsible for workers’ compensation benefits were taught to identify any claims related to the fire and to perform case interviews as soon as possible. As a result of the training we conducted for all our special groups after the fire, only two claims were submitted. These were filed by the two people who were caught in the burning building and suffered smoke inhalation. There were no claims for stress or any other fire-related conditions.

With just two workers’ compensation claims and no litigation, our investment in this training more than paid for itself.

HR Partnership with the EAP

Although HR had worked well with the Employee Assistance Program staff before the fire, we became even more aware of the pivotal role EAP played in the care of our people, so the relationship became much closer. We maintained our commitment to the confidential nature of the EAP and made sure no confidences were violated. In addition, the HR staff gained a stronger understanding of the power of healing through the types of interventions the EAP could make.

Today most organizations outsource medical and EAP services, and encourage employees to take more responsibility for managing their careers and their personal lives. Nonetheless, employers can still make available off-the-shelf programs in such areas as stress management, relaxation techniques, nutrition, and exercise. First Interstate was large enough and fortunate enough to have a corporate industrial nurse on staff. The nurse, along with the EAP, helped us conduct group programs based on Dr. Framer’s principles that were necessary to take care of our people. Employees understood the value of these programs, especially in the wake of a disaster, and attended them in high numbers.

Responsibility Structure

In addition to developing department-specific training programs, we devised a responsibility structure enabling all affected managers, HR leaders, and individuals in other key functions noted to remain clear on who was responsible for what once it was established that employees were safe and we were ready to return to work. A disaster is no time for silo thinking or operating. Leaders need to work together across functional lines to take care of managers, employees, and the organization.

Although each situation is different, you should address this role clarification as you build your business continuity plan. We had to devise our structural outline during the emergency; we can only imagine how much more effective we could have been if this had been in place as part of the business continuity plan.

By the time our next disaster struck, we were much better prepared to help HR staff and managers deal with the trauma, and our managers and employees both noticed and appreciated this.

Managers/Supervisors

Role: To closely monitor performance levels of all employees and refer to support professionals to facilitate early problem solving.

Responsibilities:

• Monitor performance of employees.
• Intervene quickly to identify issues if performance begins to decline.
• 86 Refer employees to support professionals.
• Advise HR representative about employee relations issue.
• Document performance decline in regular reports, with a copy to HR.
• Be sensitive to needs and problems of employees.
• Be aware of trends or problems developing in the department.

Human Resources Managers

Role: To assist managers with early problem detection, evaluate employee issues, and refer employees to support professionals.

Responsibilities:

• Sensitize managers to employee relations issues.
• Educate managers and supervisors in the early detection of problems and the importance of documentation and follow-through.
• Provide counsel to managers in evaluating employee relations issues.
• Attend intervention meeting as requested by managers/ supervisors or employees.
• Refer employee to the Employee Assistance counselor or the corporate nurse as necessary.
• Follow up with managers/supervisors or employees to confirm that meetings with the Employee Assistance counselor or the corporate nurse have taken place.
• Intervene with managers or supervisors experiencing difficulties.
• Schedule debriefing/tension reduction meetings to identify and follow up on issues.
• Be sensitive to trends or problems developing in departments or groups.
• Review reports received from managers/supervisors and follow up as necessary.
• Complete summaries for senior HR management as requested.
• Provide recommendations to senior HR management and Employee Assistance staff regarding departmental issues or concerns.

Employee Assistance Counselors

Employee Assistance counselors included staff members and independent contractors who were brought in to assist staff because of the large number of cases.

Role: To provide professional counseling for employees who need assistance with personal problems, stress management, and other issues and refer employees as necessary for outside assistance.

Responsibilities:

• Counsel employees who have requested counseling or have been referred by a manager or HR representative.
• Refer employees who may need assistance from outside professionals.
• Advise the HR representative of any problems or trends developing in a department.
• Advise the HR representative about coordinating assistance for departments requiring debriefing or tension reduction sessions.
• Conduct and/or attend debriefing or tension reduction sessions, whenever possible.
• Advise senior HR managers regarding overall company trends or problems.
• Educate managers/supervisors and HR staff in early problem detection and intervention techniques.

Corporate Nurse

Role: To provide assistance and/or referrals to employees who have general health complaints. Responsibilities:

• Provide medical attention to referred employees experiencing health problems.
• Refer employees who need counseling to Employee Assistance counselors.
• Advise HR representatives and/or EAP counselors about any problems or trends developing in a department.
• Offer assistance to departments or individuals as necessary, including techniques for stress reduction and self-help.

Corporate Communications

Communications also plays a critical role. This may or may not be part of the HR function, but a strong partnership between the two is vital in any type of crisis. Here are examples of communications roles and responsibilities, which can be handled most effectively by partnering with HR.

Role: To communicate with employees, media, and other key audiences as quickly, accurately, comprehensively, and consistently as possible and to encourage two-way communications.

Responsibilities:

• Provide counsel to leaders and HR on internal and external communications issues, especially those related to the safety of employees and the reputation of the company.
• Be prepared to adjust plans and actions as the situation warrants, including changing the “voice” of the company.
• Be in frequent contact with the local media, especially local radio and TV newscasters whose stations have their own news-gathering departments.
• Keep up-to-date fact sheets about the organization, including stock photos and videos.
• Partner with HR and IT to develop telephone trees that include home telephone as well as cell phone numbers and personal e-mail addresses so that you can notify employees quickly and continue to communicate with them.
• Work with IT to create alternative websites and set up toll-free phone numbers that employees can refer to after a disaster strikes; consider a separate number and site for customers and media.
• Coordinate with safety/security to allow for the inclusion of communications, especially employee communications, in their plans, procedures, and policies.
• Ensure that communications staff have the necessary supplies to communicate under all circumstances, especially in the event of a power outage or the loss of the entire telecommunications structure (e.g., satellite phones, battery-operated radios and TVs, power chargers that will work with a car battery, hand-cranked or battery-operated chargers for cell phones and PDAs, paper, pens and pencils, etc.).
• 89 Clarify roles among the communications staff, especially in terms of internal and external communications and shifts of operations.
• Make arrangements for backup support, including such resources as communications staff in other offices around the globe or an outside agency in another city.
• Be ready to intervene if managers/supervisors or others in the organization are found to be experiencing difficulties or disseminating misinformation.
• Schedule debriefing meetings with HR, the EAP, Safety/ Security, and managers to assess how well messages are getting through, what else needs to be communicated, and what other communications actions are needed.
• Regularly remind employees of the actions they need to take, both at work and at home, if a disaster strikes.

Action Steps

1. Consider how you will deal with the behavioral issues that can result from a disaster. There are examples and lessons throughout the book that you can draw on. See especially Chapters 7 and 8.
2. Define roles and responsibilities among the following groups for dealing with these issues and determine how they will partner during an emergency:
   • Human Resources staff
   • Line managers
   • Workers’ compensation/risk management staff
   • Communications staff
3. Read Chapter 6 on the results of First Interstate Bank’s efforts toward balancing the needs of employees with the need to get back to work.