Are ACE survivors more likely to silently leave the workplace?
This is a question that has always bugged me , Ive seen over the past 12 months in my research ( and more than a few coffee shop stops) just how deep and far reaching the effects of childhood trauma are. I also know from my own personal experience how every aspect , every little minute piece of our lives as sufferers is impacted by it. So I’ve often wondered what about work ? I know were not a lazy group of people , we like to help and please others so I know if you can work you do and I bet it impacts there too , but perhaps you hide it ? It isn’t really visible as such , people have little understanding of it . If you have ever seen other peoples faces when a colleague tells them they have ME ( Myalgic encephalomyelitis , try saying that after a drink) then what chance have you got with an ACE ?
Quiet quitting is not really leaving a job its doing the minimum , its limiting the love and enthusiasm that you put into it, its doing , but doing no more than that . If you follow social media then they will have you believing it’s an epidemic . Gallup ” is quiet quitting real ?”in September 2022 found that at least 50% of the American workforce was Quiet Quitting and its probably more they reported.
This isn’t really what I mean
The quiet quitting I am talking about is the sort that has been going on long before social media got involved . It’s the trauma sufferers at work , it’s the hard working ACE survivors that turn down promotions , refuse better positions as they do not want to transfer to another area or location . They are doing what they need to do to keep their jobs , but no more . There are successful people at work who are trauma survivors , Will Smith , Oprah , Charlize Theron ,Christina Aguilera ,Bill Clinton ,Elenor Roosevelt , I could go on and on … But for every one person who overcomes their trauma , there must be many who soldier on every day doing enough not to get noticed. Predictability , safe spaces , low self worth and esteem , always on high alert , these are not good indicators of promotion. Its like you are pushing a heavy rock around with you every day at work that no one else can see ..
The British Educational Research Association ( www.bera.ac.uk) have written a useful toolkit for employers on how to support childhood trauma survivors at work. They found that sufferers , just don’t know how to explain trauma to their employers and colleagues,I get that .There is also a complete lack of trust in how organisations will deal with the news.Managers tend to have to draw on personal knowledge rather than a policy or taught information when dealing with information given to them by trauma sufferers , this causes unpredictability with outcomes and support .Most survivors decide that non disclosure is the best approach. This increases work barriers for ACE survivors and makes harder for ACE survivors to flourish..( Nachmias et al 2022, funded by BERA ) ” our study reveals that an effective ,supportive environment for survivors can contribute to reducing absenteeism , sickness and poor performance “. Trauma survivors Nachmias points out , as we suspected, face career stagnation that is “related to their ability to effectively manage their childhood trauma”. Personally I have seen this first hand , promotions whist I was working for my previous employer were there to be had , I avoided them as it created an unpredictable situation , I was not in control of the outcome, so I didn’t bother. The report hi lighted the importance of good supportive interpersonal relationships in the workplace.
We need to get the message out
There is a common theme in all these posts , not my awful sense of humour , puns or spelling mistakes , its lack of awareness of trauma throughout society. We have seen time and again that the ordinary public are unaware that this problem even exists . I can hear the average man on the Clapham Omnibus ( worry not ,its a legal term here in the UK, meaning the average person ) he would laugh at someone who said they were suffering from trauma that was 20 or 30 years ago , the information is not out there enough people , if not us, then who will tell them? We need trauma policy development and a more targeted approach to trauma . If a large organisation has a survivor working for them , they will be fortunate , they will probably just put their heads down and work , they are probably one of your best , so help them. Provide a safe environment , have a policy , train managers and be supportive, get outside help for you staff if you haven’t the specialist knowledge , just do something.
THE TOOL KIT
If you’re wondering if you can look at this toolkit , wonder no more , it’s on the Nottingham Trent University site www.ntu.ac.uk. go to home/research/groups and centres /managing trauma in the workplace . Perhaps tell your manager , perhaps you are the manager , pass it on , make waves .
Anyway hope your all well , have a great day , see you soon
