Nearly every employee in today’s workplace is either personally grappling with stress and uncertainty or supporting someone who is. The emotional tension is real, and human crises don’t wait for permission. They strike without warning, indifferent to policies, calendars and organizational readiness.
That’s why building a Crisis-Ready Workplace isn’t a luxury. It’s a strategic imperative for an organization’s psychological health and safety (PHS) program. A PHS program is what an employer does to demonstrate duty of care and due diligence to protect employees from psychological injuries.
Why does creating a Crisis-Ready Workplace matter? Because crisis management, disaster preparedness and human-centered response planning must be addressed before a crisis occurs. Having contingency plans and trained personnel in place ensures that employees in distress receive timely and appropriate support, and that crises are prevented from escalating. It’s not just about reacting; it’s about being ready to respond with intention, empathy and structure.
Whether it’s a mental health emergency, a violent incident or a traumatic event unfolding in real time, the workplace is not immune. Employers benefit by moving beyond reactive policies and embracing proactive readiness. The standard for becoming a Crisis-Ready Workplace is to train at least 10 per cent of your workforce to become Crisis-Ready Interventionists, ensuring that resources are on-site and ready to assist employees in crisis.
These trained individuals serve as embedded allies, ready to recognize, respond to and redirect crises before they spiral out of control. Their presence creates momentum for upstanders, reduces the risk of delayed response times and fosters a culture where support is expected, not exceptional. These individuals become:
- Anchors of calm in chaos
- Catalysts for action
- Trusted points of contact
They set the tone that helping employees in crisis is the standard and expected. Crisis-Ready Interventionists are trained that they are not expected to be crisis experts. They are to show up when employees are in crisis with confidence, humility and a non-threatening presence, to de-escalate the situation without putting themselves or others at risk.
Risk of not having Crisis-Ready Interventionists in place
Perhaps one of the biggest risks when no Crisis-Ready Interventionist is available during a crisis is the bystander effect, a psychological phenomenon where individuals are less likely to help someone in a crisis when others are present. Research suggests this effect stems from diffusion of responsibility — the assumption that someone else will intervene — and social influence, where people look to others to gauge whether action is necessary.
A real-world example is the murder of Kitty Genovese in 1964, where dozens reportedly witnessed the attack without intervening, sparking decades of research into bystander apathy. Just last week, I watched on TV a horrifying incident of a young woman being murdered on a U.S. train. The event was being broadcast on the news like a commercial, which I suspect left some viewers stunned.
From my observation of the footage, it did not appear that anyone stepped in to support the young woman immediately after her wounds. One report suggested it was one minute and 35 seconds from the time she was stabbed to the time action was taken. It also appeared that the assailant walked through the train, bloodied and unchallenged.
I reflected that this wasn’t just a crime. It was a collective failure of human response, most likely due to the bystander effect or perhaps because no one was prepared or knew what to do during an unspeakable crisis.
This is one of our primary motivations to encourage employers to create Crisis-Ready Workplaces to help ensure that in critical seconds and minutes — which can be the difference between life and death — motivated upstanders are prepared and ready to protect employees and peers from physical and psychological harm, access mental health support and de-escalate a crisis.
What is an upstander?
An upstander is someone who recognizes when a person is at risk, experiencing some form of injustice or crisis, and in these moments is motivated and willing to help. Unlike bystanders, upstanders intervene — whether by offering help, calling for support or simply acknowledging the situation to prevent further harm.
They don’t need to be experts. They need to be:
- Trained, knowing their limits and role in workplace crises
- Present
- Intentional
- Aware of their safety boundaries
Upstanders are the antidote to bystander behaviour. They can help employees cross the bridge of silence and get the support they need.
The strategic value of upstanders: Human support meets risk reduction
Upstanders play a pivotal role that is both compassionate and resilient in shaping a workplace. Their presence offers immediate, tangible benefits to employees and long-term, strategic advantages for employers.
For employees:
- Timely support access: They help employees navigate mental health and crisis resources early, reducing shame, stigma and isolation.
- Emotional safety: Knowing someone is trained and ready to help fosters a sense of psychological security, which improves morale and retention.
- Empowerment: Employees feel encouraged to speak up, seek help and support one another, creating a ripple effect of care and courage.
For employers:
- Reduced risk of escalation: Early intervention can prevent crises from worsening, minimizing workplace disruption and reputational damage.
- Lower disability claims: When mental health issues or trauma are addressed promptly, the likelihood of long-term disability claims and extended leave decreases, saving organizations significant costs.
- Compliance and duty of care: Having trained upstanders demonstrates a proactive commitment to employee well-being, aligning with occupational health and safety standards.
- Cultural resilience: Upstanders model a workplace norm where silence is not acceptable in the face of harm. This builds a culture of accountability, empathy and readiness.
By embedding Crisis-Ready Interventionists into the fabric of workplace culture, organizations move from passive observation to proactive care. These individuals form a safety net that doesn’t depend on luck or heroic instincts, but on intentional readiness, shared responsibility and human connection. It’s not just about reacting to crises — it’s about preventing them, supporting people through them and cultivating resilience across the organization.
Early intervention is essential. When employees are equipped to recognize distress and respond swiftly, the ripple effects are profound. Trauma is contained, mental health outcomes improve and a culture of trust takes root. This isn’t just good practice; it’s a strategic imperative that protects both people and performance.
Creating a workplace culture of upstanding begins with awareness, clear boundaries and normalizing support. When organizations celebrate those who step up and embed these values into daily operations, they send a powerful message that help is not only available, it’s expected.
Training even 10 per cent of a workforce to become Crisis-Ready Interventionists establishes a visible, confident and humble presence across teams. These upstanders don’t need to be experts; they need to be present, intentional and prepared to act within their skill set. Their readiness reduces risk, strengthens psychological safety and ensures that when crisis strikes, someone is there to say, “You’re not alone.”
