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Supporting Employee Mental Health Post-Injury: Minor Injuries

Doctor at hospital prescribing treatment and talking to young patient

What employers can do to support workers with minor injuries.

Injury Example: A cook cuts their finger, a cashier sprains their ankle, a room attendant with a sore wrist, a grounds keeper scrapes their knee, a ski instructor has a sore shoulder

Potential ImpactsHow to Support
• Reduced confidence in performing job tasks that lead to injury

• Fear that they will be perceived as less competent		Ensure the worker’s confidence in performing any job tasks that lead to the injury – offer further training if necessary.

Approach this topic with empathy as it is easy to accidentally trigger shame by implying the injury was a result of
incompetence.
• A feeling of shame for having incurred
the injury		Reassure the worker that mistakes happen to everybody – maybe share a story about a similar injury you’ve incurred in the past.
• Bullying or harassment from coworkers
or guests		Watch out for potential bullying and harassment as a result of injury, and address it proactively before it grows.
• Pride in working through injury as a
badge of honor

• Denying the need for further treatment		Validate the need for recovery through proper messaging: there is no badge
of honor for “toughing it out” through a painful injury, and that “self-care is cool.”
• Psychological trauma to themselves or
coworkers through witnessing injury		Have an empathetic conversation with the injured worker to help them identify the potential impacts of the injury and refer them to additional support if needed.

Check-in with witnesses of the injury for the need to debrief and refer to additional support if needed.

Additional Resources

Download Supporting Employee Mental Health Post-Injury: Minor Injuries as a handout to share with your employees or print off.