When Work Doesn’t Feel Safe: A Wake-Up Call for Employee Wellness
Another headline. Another workplace shooting. Another day when employees show up to work carrying more than their laptops and to-do lists. Whether the incident happened across the country or just down the street, the emotional toll is real, and whether they say it or not it’s walking into your building every single day.
Workplace violence doesn’t have to happen in your office for your people to feel the ripple effects. In fact, many teams are operating with high-functioning anxiety, hypervigilance, and emotional fatigue without any specific threat, so when there is cause for concern, they have no reserve to give. Not to mention, even seemingly unrelated traumatic events can activate or trigger memories of previous triggers for your staff that may need attention now. But the real problem? Most leadership teams don’t know how to talk about it, so they don’t. And silence is no longer neutral. It’s harmful.
If you’re in HR, a leadership role, or responsible for team well-being in any way, this post is your invitation to stop tiptoeing and start leading. Employee wellness isn’t a soft perk, it’s a strategic priority.
What’s Really Happening Behind the Scenes
Your employees are likely showing signs of accumulated stress and trauma whether they’re naming it or not. These reactions might look like:
Increased irritability or sensitivity to feedback
Withdrawal from team engagement or decision-making
Decreased productivity despite longer hours
Missed deadlines, absenteeism, or presenteeism
Emotional flatness or sudden outbursts
These aren’t just individual performance issues. They’re indicators that your people don’t feel emotionally safe, and it’s impacting your business.
Why This Isn’t Just an HR Issue
Employee wellness can’t live in a dusty EAP brochure or be handed off to a single “wellness coordinator.” What’s happening right now requires trauma-informed leadership. How you handle the situation will make or break how your top talent view your organization.
Your staff may be afraid to speak up about how they’re feeling because they:
Don’t want to be seen as weak
Don’t think anything will change
Feel unsure how to even name what’s going on
But the cost of doing nothing? Disengaged teams, increased turnover, and an erosion of trust that can take years to rebuild.
You may not be speaking, but your SILENCE is.
When traumatic events occur, whether within your walls or in the broader world, your silence speaks volumes.
It says:
“We don’t talk about hard things here.”
“You’re on your own.”
“This company only cares about the bottom line.”
And while none of that may be true, it doesn't take much for employees to believe that it is.
It goes without saying that they want to feel safe and that does include knowing what precautions that you are putting in place to protect them, but it goes beyond that.
During times of crisis, your team wants to see their leader be a visible, empathetic, consistent presence. Even a simple acknowledgment like, “We know the news lately has been heavy. If you’re feeling it, you’re not alone, and we’re actively thinking about how to support our team,” can shift the emotional temperature in a big way.
The Path Forward Starts With a Conversation
Wellness starts with acknowledgment, not action plans. You don’t need a 3-year wellness initiative by Friday. What your team needs most is your presence and your permission to be human.
Here are three things you can do this week:
Check in with your team using low-pressure language. Ask, “How are you holding up with everything that’s been going on?”
Normalize mental health care by modeling it. Mention that you’re scheduling a therapy appointment, taking a walk mid-day, or logging off when you need a break.
Download our free toolkit to help guide wellness-centered conversations with your team.
Remember: You Set the Tone
Leadership doesn’t just guide strategy, it shapes culture. If your people are watching the world feel more unsafe and unsure, let them see you as the place where steadiness and care are still possible.
No one needs you to be perfect, but being present can make all the difference in the world.
Ready to Support Your Team Better?
Get the Free Toolkit: “The Workplace Check-In Toolkit” 5 trauma-informed conversation starters to help you support your staff, without overstepping or over-scripting.
Want to take it to the next level with a full staff wellness plan? Send us a message to schedule a complimentary consultation for your team today.
At The Well, we are happy to offer individual sessions, corporate wellness events and digital tools to help you make the most of wherever you are on the way to where you want to be. For a confidential appointment with one of our providers, call 317-471-8996 or email intake@thewellcounselinggroup.com. We work with numerous insurance companies and have self-pay options available as well.