Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22prefer to be closer to family and friends and not travel internationally. If they have been held for a prolonged period, their role might not exist anymore. They might struggle to return to a high pressure role. As a result of their experiences, the individual is likely to struggle to concentrate and retain information. As a result, it might be necessary to manage their workload and reassign some elements of their role in the first instance. It is important to have an open conversation with them about the reality of the situation within the organisation and their changed needs or desires from their job. In a large organisation, it might be possible to accommodate role changes. In a smaller organisation, this might be more difficult. It might not always be possible to find a role that will work. If that is the case, consider providing specialised career counselling to help them find a new job. This has been done successfully and in those cases where it is necessary, this is a great type of support that the organisation can offer. Returning to the office… The office environment can pose challenges to a former hostage. There might be physical triggers in the office environment, such as sights, sounds and smells that remind them of their experiences. For example, if they have been kept isolated or in a dark space, they may struggle to work in a basement office. They may struggle with noisy offices after being kept in solitary confinement. They may find open or closed plan offices better or worse to cope with, depending on their experiences. Many former hostages struggle with public transport, especially during the rush hour, as a result of the impacts of trauma. They might also be having trouble sleeping, making it difficult to keep fixed and traditional office hours. Try to offer as much flexibility as possible with working hours. You need to be aware that these triggers and patterns can change over time. Be ready to review things on a regular basis and put in place changed arrangements as necessary. It can be helpful to conduct a ‘return to work interview’. This provides an opportunity to talk about the individual’s needs, challenges you may need to manage together in relation to working hours or the office environment, and the nature of their role. This can then be turned into a return to work plan, which can be reviewed together on a regular basis. Helping colleagues to be supportive… Peer support is vital for those returning to work after being held hostage. But colleagues often struggle to know what to say or do for the best. Everyone is different, so ask the returning hostage how they would prefer their colleagues to behave. Brief colleagues before the individual’s return to work. Provide staff with basic information about the kidnapping to help demystify the situation and help them to behave more naturally. Provide them some basic understanding of the potential impacts of a traumatic event, so they can understand changed behaviour or sensitivity about certain situations or places. Where a person’s job will be impacted by the returning hostage’s changed role or work pattern, be sure to brief them so they understand and can support and accommodate the changes. It is important to remind colleagues that, while physical scars are visible, the psychological impacts of trauma are invisible and can be long lasting. Just because you can’t see these problems, it doesn’t mean they aren’t suffering. Request that colleagues don’t ask too many questions about the kidnapping as this can be intrusive. Encourage them to concentrate on being as supportive as possible, and provide them with concrete examples of what to say and how to behave. They may not understand how to do this without assistance. Consider setting up a buddy system so the individual has someone to turn to and check in on them who is on their level. Encourage staff to incorporate the returning hostage into social activities. This can be one of the first things that colleagues stop doing as they assume the individual won’t want to come, or because they feel awkward socialising with them. This can increase their sense of isolation. 13