Leadership   //   January 14, 2025HR toolkit: supporting staff through LA fires and other future disasters By Hailey Mensik

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The fires raging in LA have yet to relent with over 20 killed and another bout of dangerously high winds expected this week. People across the country are watching images of the destruction on social media and other news platforms, hearing sobering stories of homes and lives lost.

It’s taking an emotional toll and distracting people from carrying on with their daily lives as usual — particularly when it comes to their jobs. “There’s vicarious trauma going on where they’re imagining what other people are losing,” said Kyra Bobinet, author and expert on behavior change for executive leadership. 

With future natural disasters expected, heightened visibility of such events online, and workforces scattered across different regions, employers have a growing responsibility to support their staff through these times — especially staff who are directly impacted. But how exactly should they approach this?

Acknowledge what’s happening

Staying quiet and not addressing major external events is one wrong step employers might take, said Sujay Saha, founder and president of boutique consulting firm Cortico-X. “This is a tragic, unexpected life event for the folks who are impacted, potentially for years to come,” he said.

Know what not to say

Some phrases people may use to offer support can have the opposite impact, making employees feel dismissed. Toxically positive statements like “At least you / your friends and family are safe” and “things are replaceable” aren’t helpful. “They know that. They don’t need to hear that. Try to get yourself in their shoes,” Saha said.

Instead employers and managers should acknowledge what staff are facing and feeling and offer validation, through statements like “I am so sorry for your loss and what you are going through.”

“It’s important to make time and create space to simply be there and listen — sometimes, the most impactful support is acknowledging employees’ feelings and offering empathy,” said David Ko, CEO of sleep and meditation app Calm.

Get involved and help promote charity, recovery efforts

“During challenging times, people often feel a natural desire to help,” Ko said. “Employers can channel this by creating opportunities for employees to support their teammates or the broader community through initiatives like volunteer programs or donation drives.”

Some LA-based corporations have pledged to donate millions of dollars toward relief efforts, like Disney. Disney donated $15 million last week to support organizations on the ground, like the American Red Cross and the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, according to a company statement. It also plans to provide financial help to staff directly impacted through its own employee relief fund. 

Netflix also announced it will donate $10 million to be split between the Los Angeles Fire Department, California Community Wildfire Relief Fund, and other related organizations. It’s also offering assistance with temporary housing for staff directly impacted, and pledging to double-match any employee charitable contributions, according to a statement.

“In most cases employers already have benefits and resources that will help employees impacted by the fires in LA. The biggest assistance organizations can offer is not in having these benefits, but in making it easier for employees to access them,” said Emily Rose McRae, senior director analyst at Gartner.

“Contact their EAP to confirm that the EAP can assist with contacting insurance carriers or completing FEMA applications. Post a list of ways to directly access assistance to your intranet, and then have managers follow up with their team members to see if anyone needs assistance,” McRae said. 

Offer continuous support

Saha currently has team members based in the LA area working remotely. While none have been directly impacted, he’s giving them a lot of flexibility as they deal with housing friends and others who lost their homes, and as they ensure they are prepared if fires come their way. 

The fallout of this disaster will undoubtedly be drastic and long-term as people rebuild their lives. “There’s mourning neighbors and loved ones who are lost, and waiting to hear news of those you cannot contact. Then there’s the stress of being displaced for potentially indefinite amounts of time, and also the substantial, and in many cases overwhelming, executive function burden of needing to navigate a variety of bureaucratic hoops to get support and assistance,” Mcrae said.

Saha aims to offer continuous support and flexibility for LA-based staff. “We talk about some things now, and then the next thing comes, and then you forget about what people may have gone through in the past,” Saha said. “But this is ongoing, and make sure that you don’t lose sight of that.”

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