Future of work? It’s not remote or hybrid but ‘trauma-informed.’ Here’s why

Ever since the beginning of the pandemic, there’s been so much discussion about the future of work that terms like 'hybrid' and 'remote work' have basically become buzzwords.

Will giving everyone a week off fix everything?

But it seems like we may be focussing on the wrong problem altogether! While it’s true that remote or hybrid working models have their merits, giving a week off to your team to ‘rest and recharge’ may not be enough to manage the psychological difficulties caused by the crisis.

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Research has shown that for more than two-thirds of participants, the benefits of vacation wear off in just a couple of days after returning to work. As we face a constant cycle of bad news on all fronts, high-personal stress levels result in angry e-mails and messages, poor collaboration and reduced productivity at work.

The need for a trauma-informed workplace

To combat this, employers need to create a ‘trauma-informed’ work environment. Trauma training is standard practice for first-respondent professions but it might be time to extend this to all workers.

Just recently, a content moderator sued employer TikTok for ‘severe psychological trauma’ on the job. This goes to show that our understanding of trauma needs to be broadened.

With 7 in 10 employees reporting the pandemic to be the most stressful time of their entire professional career (Ginger Workforce Attitudes Report 2020), organisations can thrive only by learning from the models of trauma-informed organizations and trauma-informed leadership used in care professions.

Both leaderships and individual workers need to prioritise and promote inclusive behaviours, trust and transparency, peer support, collaboration, empowerment of choice and diversity awareness as part of the company culture.

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