After The Robbery

A recent study by a health information company reveals just how deeply affected bank employees are following a robbery and how much stress debriefing can help.

The study, which was conducted by Optum, involved contact with 150 employees in 42 bank branches that had recently been victims of robberies.

It found that two-thirds of those employees reported sharp increases in stress following the robberies. About one-third reported sleeplessness, difficulty in concentrating, nightmares and other mental anxiety and about one-fourth reported physical deterioration.

The survey also revealed that many employees felt differently about their jobs following the robbery. More than 40 percent said they had less desire to continue working for the same employer.

As with all surveys, there were some surprises. While 13 percent of employees said their work relationships had deteriorated, 25 percent said the robberies had actually improved their working relationships. And while 12 percent said their personal relationships had suffered from a robbery, 10 percent said their experience had improved their personal relationships. These last statistics were probably affected by the fact that more than half of the respondents had taken part in critical incident stress debriefings and nearly 80 percent who took part in those debriefings felt they were helpful. About a third of respondents had sought mental health counseling.

A few other interesting tidbits from the study were: Managers' dual role of helping both themselves and employees through recovery made their own recovery more difficult.

Half the respondents said their productivity at work had decreased following the robbery. A weapon was used in over half of the robberies, but shots were fired in only 7 percent of robberies with guns.

Copyright © 1999 Bankers' Hotline. Originally appeared in Bankers' Hotline, Vol. 9, No. 7, 8/99