Apparently, we can’t simply leave our trauma at the door and transform into perfectly functioning corporate robots every morning.
Who would’ve thought?!
Stephanie Lemek joins me to unpack what a trauma-informed workplace actually looks like, why HR needs some damn boundaries, and how something as simple as giving people more choice can completely change the way we work.
Here’s what we got into:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:01:21 - What Would've Surprised Stephanie About How She Works Now, Five Years Ago?
00:08:26 — Trauma-Aware vs. Trauma-Informed
00:13:30 — The 3 Types Of Safety Every Workplace Needs
00:19:36 — Which HR Processes Are Accidentally Re-Traumatizing People?
00:26:50 — "Don't Trust HR" and Unpacking Where That Distrust Actually Comes From
00:33:07 — Hebba's Story: Grief, Anniversaries, And "The Body Do Be Keeping Score"
00:40:18 — Secondary Trauma And Compassion Fatigue In HR
00:46:16 — The One Thing To Do Differently Starting Tomorrow
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