We look around us and see shocking, ongoing catastrophes. From warzones to natural disasters. Humanitarian crises, global warming, and more. It is heartbreaking. It is immediate and scary. But the chances are, we likely see the notion of crisis as distant from “us”.
And while, thankfully, that may be true in the most extreme of examples, the notion of a catastrophe has many levels. It is not always on the front page of the newspaper. Sometimes it unfolds quietly.
Imagine a perfectly possible scenario… The numbers do not add up. Operations are told to renegotiate supplier contracts. Finance is tasked with updating the shareholders. The People team is told to reduce headcount, and quickly.
Meanwhile, the workforce is waiting. “Am I at risk?” “Will I lose my job?” “Will my friends still be here tomorrow?” Months pass. Rumours build. Hopes are dashed. Some staff are released from the danger zone. Others are not.

At the end of six months, the redundancy project is complete. Those who leave – leave. Those who stay – stay. But no mental health support was ever provided. Not once.

Some of the “lucky ones” who remained began to feel overwhelmed. A few resigned, citing stress. Others became disillusioned and then left. Even leaders stepped down, perhaps carrying a quiet sense of guilt.

Nobody fared well. Not those who went. Not those who stayed. Not those who led.
When trust starts to leak
We see this in real data. A five-year UK study of over 300,000 employees by Great Place to Work and Johns Hopkins University found that wellbeing has been declining, particularly among younger staff and frontline managers, and one of the clearest drivers is a lack of psychological safety and trust in leadership.
Trust is fragile. In the case above, the business never set out to break it. They followed the law. They kept processes tidy. But silence crept in. People filled gaps with rumour. Leaders, unsure of what to say, sometimes said nothing at all. And in that silence, trust began to leak away. Not through one dramatic moment – but drip by drip. And when trust leaks, it leaves behind anxiety, suspicion and disillusionment.
What could have been done differently?
This is where the WHO’s theme makes itself most relevant. Mental health support in times of catastrophe should not only be thought of in the context of war and disaster. For the individual caught up in sudden corporate downsizing, this too is a personal emergency.

In the example used above, there were choices that could have been made:
• Creating safe spaces for staff to talk, supported by trained facilitators.
• Providing access to employee assistance programmes.
• Being honest when answers were not yet known – because silence breeds fear.
• Supporting line managers with training in empathetic communication.
• Recognising that those who stay also grieve.

And there is an imperative for businesses to invest in putting such initiatives and services in place to create psychological safety and build trust. A recent CIPD report showed that over half of employees cite work as the main factor negatively impacting their mental health.
In a 2022 survey, Deloitte found that poor mental health costs UK employers up to £56 billion a year.
The numbers tell their own story. When trust breaks, people break. And when people break, it costs the business dearly in more ways than one.
The human side of catastrophe
Change theorists speak of the Kubler-Ross curve – denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. In reality, the lived experience in a redundancy cycle can feel less like a curve and more like spinning endlessly in a washing machine. VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) and BANI (Brittle, Anxious, Non-linear, Incomprehensible) are not just clever acronyms – they describe are what people experience and feel in their bones.

Some businesses respond with mindfulness programmes. Some may experiment with forest bathing, digital detoxes, or resilience training. None of these is a silver bullet. But they signal one thing: we care.

And that matters. Because from chaos can come calm. From ashes, renewal. But only if people are supported and given access to services and initiatives that can help them rebuild their strength.

We have seen global cases where trust collapsed, leading to disastrous impacts on wellbeing; organisational brands left in tatters.
When trust is broken, catastrophe follows.
An example from the public domain of a very real scenario where this happened was when Sports Direct, one of the UK’s largest retail companies, became the focus of scrutiny for its workplace practices. Investigations revealed a highly pressured and punitive environment in its warehouses. Workers faced strict surveillance, a ‘six strikes’ disciplinary policy, and punitive penalties for minor infractions. Sick leave, extended toilet breaks, or minor mistakes could trigger sanctions, creating a pervasive culture of fear where 53% of independent shareholders voted against the company’s management at the AGM, calling for an independent review of employment practices and corporate governance. Proof that neglecting workforce wellbeing can carry real financial, reputational and operational costs.
So what can we do differently – as individual managers and as organisations?
1. Communicate openly and often. Even if you do not have all the answers. Silence breeds fear.
2. Train managers in empathy. Equip them with the skills to listen, to acknowledge feelings, and to handle difficult conversations with dignity.
3. Provide access to mental health support. This could be counselling, employee assistance programmes, or peer support networks.
4. Acknowledge the grief of those who remain. Survivors of redundancy also suffer. Do not forget them.
5. Create forums for dialogue. Safe spaces where people can share worries without fear of repercussion.
6. Lead with values. Show through action – not words alone – that people matter.
7. Invest in proactive training. Mindfulness, stress management, resilience, and leadership under pressure. Set your people up for the next storm.
8. Check in with individuals. Not just once, but continuously. Because impact lingers long after the dust settles.
9. Model self-care at the top. Leaders who look after their own wellbeing give permission for others to do the same.
10. Build and rebuild trust. Trust is the currency that sustains people through turbulence. Lose it, and you lose more than numbers.
In the end, access to mental health support must be immediate, visible and trusted. It is not enough to comply with the law or tick boxes. People need services they can easily access, guidance they can trust, and a culture where seeking help is normal and safe.

People need support. People need empathy. People need to know that their wellbeing matters.

Profit and loss can be balanced out. Businesses can and do recover. But the human spirit, however, once broken, takes far longer to repair.