When Fear Comes Into Work
The text alert comes in during your Tuesday morning meeting: "Active shooter situation, 2 miles from your office building. Shelter in place." Within minutes, you notice the change—employees checking their phones, whispering in hallways, some quietly leaving for the day to pick up their children.
This is the moment that defines your workplace culture around safety. Not the policies you wrote months ago, but how you observe and respond to the very real fear in your team's faces right now.
When the Unthinkable Becomes Personal
I know this fear isn't abstract because I've lived it more than once. The first time, I was walking across campus on what seemed like an ordinary afternoon. I hadn't heard any alerts—I had my phone but I'd been in a building with poor reception. As I crossed the east mall toward the library, I noticed something odd: the campus was eerily quiet. No students lounging on the grass, no chatter from the dining hall.
I learned later that I had walked directly in the path of an armed individual who, minutes before I passed, climbed to the top of the library and took his own life. I was oblivious to the danger, but in that strange quiet, some part of me sensed something was wrong. The lockdown notifications came too late for me, but somehow I was safe.
The second time changed everything. During a campus lockdown a few years later, when the admistration became more rigid in the way they reacted to the increasing threats of violence, I found myself trapped in a windowless classroom with about twenty other people. The authorities turned off the lights and locked us in. We sat in darkness for over an hour, not knowing if the threat was real, not knowing what was happening outside, not knowing if someone was coming for us. We weren't allowed to leave, even to use the bathroom. The feeling of helplessness was overwhelming.
That experience taught me something crucial about fear and control. Being locked in that dark room didn't make me feel safer—it made me feel like a sitting duck. I realized that many of our standard safety protocols are designed to make administrators feel like they're doing something, not to make people actually feel safe or empowered. It was a major reason why I eventually left academia.
Observing the Ripple Effects
When violence happens, pay attention to what's actually happening in your workplace, not what you think should be happening. In the hours and days following a nearby incident, you'll notice employees who become visibly anxious when entering the building. Absenteeism increases. Conversations stop when managers approach. People avoid certain areas of the building or make sure to sit near exits. Productivity drops not from laziness, but from hypervigilance.
Don't dismiss these responses as overreactions. Research found that after incidents like the Virginia Tech shooting, workplaces across the country saw these exact patterns, even in locations hundreds of miles away. The fear is real, and it's affecting your team's ability to focus, collaborate, and feel safe at work.
Framing Your Response: The First 48 Hours
How you frame the incident sets the tone for everything that follows. Avoid dismissing the impact with phrases like "This is an isolated incident that has nothing to do with us" or "We need to get back to normal as quickly as possible." These responses tell your employees that their feelings don't matter and that their safety concerns aren't valid.
Instead, frame your response with acknowledgment and action. Start by saying "We know this incident has affected many of you, and your feelings are completely valid." Follow with "Let's talk about what would help you feel safer and more supported right now" and "We're committed to both immediate support and long-term improvements."
This framing does something important: it gives people permission to feel afraid while also signaling that you're going to do something constructive about it.
Creating Space for Honest Conversation
Most of all, it's important to let people talk. The first step isn't implementing new security measures—it's acknowledging that this fear exists and giving your team permission to discuss it openly. After workplace shootings, companies that immediately focused on "business as usual" saw lasting anxiety and decreased trust. Those that created structured opportunities for discussion saw faster recovery and stronger team cohesion.
Schedule team meetings specifically to address the incident. Make them optional but encouraged. Ask open-ended questions like "How is everyone processing what happened?" and "What concerns do you have about our workplace safety?" Most importantly, ask "What would help you feel more secure moving forward?"
Remember that silence doesn't mean people aren't affected—it often means they don't feel safe expressing their concerns.
Breaking the Routine of Fear
Disrupt the cycle of anxiety before it becomes entrenched. When fear becomes routine, it becomes paralyzing. In the weeks following an incident, consider walking meetings that get people out of enclosed spaces. Offer flexible work arrangements that reduce commute anxiety during high-stress periods. Hold team check-ins that focus on wellbeing rather than productivity.
Frame these not as accommodations for weakness, but as intelligent responses to genuine stress. My experiences with sudden violence on both campus and company settings have taught me that feeling trapped often increases trauma rather than preventing it.
Observing What Actually Helps
Ask your team what would make them feel safer—the answers might surprise you. Many employees don't want more active shooter drills that leave everyone on edge for days afterward. They often request better lighting in parking areas, improved building access controls that don't feel prison-like, mental health resources and counseling services, clear communication protocols for emergencies, and training that focuses on prevention rather than worst-case scenarios.
The difference between my two college campus examples taught me something important: feeling informed and having some sense of control is often more valuable than elaborate security measures. In the first incident, I was vulnerable because I didn't have information. In the second, I felt vulnerable because I had no agency—I was literally locked in place. The second was harder psychologically for me than the first.
Framing Long-term Support
Position ongoing mental health support as essential infrastructure, not crisis response. After the immediate incident passes, frame continued support as investing in your team's resilience, building a workplace culture of care, and ensuring everyone has the resources they need to do their best work.
Connect with local law enforcement for genuine threat assessment, mental health professionals who specialize in workplace trauma, and security consultants who focus on prevention rather than reaction. But remember that the most sophisticated security system in the world won't help if your employees don't trust that you care about their actual experience of safety.
Advocating for Systematic Change
Frame your organization's voice in the larger conversation. Don't just focus inward—use your platform to advocate for evidence-based policy changes that address root causes. Support community violence prevention programs, partner with local schools and organizations working on prevention, and invest in community mental health resources.
Frame this not as political activism, but as business leadership: we believe our employees deserve safe communities, and we're willing to work toward that goal.
Moving Forward Together
The goal isn't to eliminate all fear—some caution keeps us safe. The goal is to prevent fear from paralyzing our workplaces and communities. When we observe honestly, frame thoughtfully, and respond with both immediate care and long-term action, we build resilience rather than just reaction protocols.
Your employees don't need to be constantly reminded that violence could happen at work. They already know. What they need is to know that you're paying attention to their actual needs, framing safety as a shared responsibility, and committed to creating environments where people feel both secure and empowered.
Because the best response to fear is thoughtful observation, honest framing, and the knowledge that the people who are closest to you are your best chance for staying aware and surviving.
If you or someone in your workplace is struggling with anxiety related to violence, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) helpline is available at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264). For immediate crisis support, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.