A new report from the National Forum for Health and Wellbeing at Work warns that trauma is no longer a niche issue affecting only emergency services or high-risk roles. Instead, it is becoming an increasingly common part of modern working life.
Researchers say organisations across all sectors should begin treating trauma as a mainstream workforce issue and incorporate trauma-informed approaches into existing wellbeing strategies.
The report highlights how global uncertainty, social disruption and exposure to distressing events are shaping employee experiences in ways employers can no longer ignore.
Trauma is more common than many employers realise
According to the World Health Organization, more than 70% of people globally will experience at least one traumatic event during their lifetime, while almost a third will experience four or more.
While trauma is often associated with extreme incidents or frontline professions, the report stresses that exposure can happen in almost any workplace. Employees may encounter traumatic events directly, such as accidents or violence, or indirectly through supporting colleagues, clients or communities facing distress.
This growing exposure means trauma should be viewed as a public health issue that intersects with work, wellbeing and organisational culture.
The hidden impact on organisations
Workplace trauma may already be contributing significantly to mental health challenges at work, according to the report’s authors. It may be an under-recognised factor driving issues such as anxiety, depression and burnout.
Report lead author Francine Watson said the findings should prompt organisations to think differently about employee support.
“Across many sectors staff may be exposed to traumatic events such as serious accidents, sudden deaths, violent incidents or disasters,” she said.
“Others may have roles that involve repeated contact with other people’s traumatic experiences.”
Watson added that addressing trauma is not only a moral responsibility but also a strategic priority for organisations seeking to maintain productivity, engagement and retention.
Employees often bring trauma histories to work
Another key finding is that trauma does not only occur within the workplace.
Most adults will arrive at work with some form of trauma history from earlier life experiences. The environment they return to each day can therefore play a major role in shaping recovery and resilience.
According to the report, workplace culture can either support healing or unintentionally worsen distress.
Employers have legal and ethical responsibilities to protect psychological as well as physical health, including managing psychosocial risks and making appropriate adjustments where necessary under equality law.
Watson emphasised that supporting trauma does not mean organisations must become clinical experts.
Instead, the focus should be on building cultures and systems that reduce harm, foster psychological safety and enable people to recover while remaining in work.
The risk of getting trauma support wrong
However, experts involved in the report caution that increasing awareness of trauma can also create confusion for organisations.
Sir Cary Cooper, founder of the National Forum for Health and Wellbeing at Work, said well-meaning responses can sometimes do more harm than good.
As conversations around mental health become more open, some organisations may struggle to determine what qualifies as trauma, when intervention is needed and how best to support employees.
Cooper warned that blanket interventions or bringing in external experts too quickly can inadvertently pathologise normal human reactions to difficult events.
In some cases, this may undermine existing support networks within teams.
Evidence suggests most people recover naturally over time when they have strong social support, effective leadership and psychologically safe workplaces.
Turning evidence into practical action
The report aims to help HR professionals, occupational health teams and wellbeing leaders translate research into practical steps.
Rather than introducing entirely new programmes, the guidance encourages organisations to integrate trauma-informed thinking into existing wellbeing frameworks.
This includes improving leadership capability, strengthening peer support, recognising signs of distress early and ensuring workplace policies do not unintentionally increase harm.
By doing so, employers can better support employees while also strengthening organisational resilience.
With trauma increasingly shaping working lives, the report concludes that organisations that proactively address the issue will be better placed to protect both people and performance.
You can download the full report here.
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