Tips for supportive conversations about economic harm in the workplace
Whatever difficult life experience a person is going through, a supportive conversation is a good starting place. This is also true for economic harm.
The best person to have a supportive conversation with is someone the staff member trusts and feels safe with. The wrong person could make matters worse or leave the staff member feeling vulnerable.
For a variety of reasons, staff members don’t always feel comfortable opening up to their line manager. You may want to encourage staff to speak to anyone in your management or people and culture teams with whom they feel comfortable.
What to consider in a supportive conversation
If a staff member wants to discuss family violence or economic harm with you, there are some things to consider:
- Discuss who else on staff would need to know the situation to implement these entitlements – such as payroll, HR or senior management.
- Take steps to make sure all disclosures and activities are kept confidential to the rest of the team by limiting access to staff files.
- Provide information on external support – such as specialist services.
- Make a plan together, including regular catch-ups during the next few days, weeks or months.
- Provide a safe and private space to talk.
- There may be more occurring in the background than you are aware. Just like in a medical situation, it’s important to determine if an urgent response is required. It is not your job to work this out alone. However, simply asking if the person feels an immediate response is needed will be enough to open up the conversation.
- Offer any additional workplace support that can be made available – such as counselling or loan services
- Discuss who else on staff would need to know the situation to implement these entitlements – such as payroll, HR or senior management.
Tips for having a conversation
Having delicate and emotional conversations with employees requires a careful and considered approach.
You need to listen and speak in a way that is clear, respectful, empathetic and non-judgemental.
It is important to explain confidentiality about expectations and limits, whilst acknowledging what is happening is not their fault, that they are not alone and there are ways to get through.
Remember
- People experiencing abuse are not always ready to seek support and may only be ready to disclose part of their situation. Once they are aware help is available, they may choose to approach you at some other time or seek support when they are ready. It is important to let them know this is okay.
- In some cases, the staff member may already have a significant support person in their life that they can talk to. Or they could already be working with a service or have a plan in place.
- Wherever the conversation leads, be careful to listen openly and not to force your own agenda due to fear or uncertainty.
It’s not always possible to gather all the information or solve someone else’s problems. Remember we are all experts in our own lives and it’s important to trust that the person knows their situation best.
Check access to money
Whatever steps are taken, check your employees’ access to money.
- Does the staff member have access to their money?
- Will they have access during or after getting support?
- Do they need to secure money now?
- What impact will securing the money have on the relationship?