Survivor syndrome, also known as survivor’s guilt, is the response of a person when they believe they have done something wrong by surviving a traumatic event when others did not.

In a workplace setting, the majority of cases relate to feelings around surviving a redundancy programme.

This information has been produced to help individuals understand their response, and for those that lead, manage or supervise to support those experiencing survivor syndrome. Remember that being a leader, manager or supervisor does not preclude the experience of survivor syndrome.

What causes survivor syndrome?

Alongside the the guilt associated with not being made redundant, the following factors contribute to the emotional, psychological and physical impacts:

  • Loss of relationships and friendships – saying goodbye to someone you have worked with is hard
  • Loss of status and sense of belonging
  • Working outside of comfort or competence zone
  • Additional workload
  • Continued uncertainty

In addition, the lack of support for those left behind (and the notion that they are lucky to have kept their jobs) compounds feelings of guilt, and feeling ‘wobbled’ or anxious amplifies survivor syndrome.

What can you do for yourself?

  • Acknowledge that the way you feel is real and understandable, and look for support.
  • Use techniques to identify the emotions you are experiencing – even if articulating them out loud is too painful or difficult.
  • Capture the reasons for your feelings – writing can release brain space and emotional capacity. Putting your feelings on paper can enable you to take a step back and look at the situation from a different perspective, which can help you begin to create strategies or solutions.
  • Allow time for grief and grieving – there is no ‘normal’ timeframe for grief, and emotions can come and go.
  • Feeling angry on behalf of your colleagues is natural, but try to ensure that this emotion does not have a negative effect on your wellbeing or your existing relationships within the organisation.
  • Resist the temptation to ‘avenge’ your colleagues or sabotage new ways of working.
  • Find out as much information as you can about the decisions around the redundancy programme and your organisation’s vision for the future. This may help you accept the reasons why your role wasn’t identified as part of the redundancy programme.
  • Think about the impact you can have on your organisation’s collection, audiences and communities – this can help to focus your contribution and give you a sense of purpose.
  • Find someone to talk to about how you are feeling – this could be your line manager, employee assistance programme, human resources or your trade union.
  • Take time to adjust to your new way of working.
  • Be kind to yourself. Even though you’ve kept your role, you too have experienced the trauma and loss of a redundancy programme. It is also natural to feel relieved or happy that you are still in post.
  • Redundancy programmes are difficult for everyone, and all organisations need open, honest and non-judgemental two-way communication. As a museum professional, you can help your leader, manager or supervisor to help you by being honest and authentic about your feelings and the challenges you’re facing.

What can you do as a leader, manager or supervisor?

  • Redundancy programmes are a difficult time for everyone. As a leader, manager or supervisor your priority is the wellbeing of your staff and volunteers.
  • Be aware that survivor syndrome is common during and following a redundancy programme.
  • Be aware of the challenges that may arise due to restructuring, for example job description changes, increased workloads, reallocation of teams, etc.
  • Look for signs of your team struggling to cope, like behaving differently, increased absence, poor timekeeping and dips in job performance and delivery. When observed following a redundancy programme, the reason for these behaviours may be associated with survivor syndrome.
  • With this in mind, conversations about performance should be explored without judgement or assumption. Open questions and open minds will facilitate a fruitful discussion which should lead to the provision of support and subsequent behaviour change to return to good performance.
  • Clear and honest communication is vital. A vision for the future that allows individuals to see the context and relevance of their role is key for boosting morale and performance. During the redundancy period ‘survivors’ can often feel sidelined as the focus has been on the staff exiting.
  • The triggering factors for survivor syndrome are unique to each individual. It’s important to identify the source in order to develop strategies and solutions for returning to good performance. For example, one individual may respond negatively to not doing a task they previously enjoyed or valued, while another may experience survivor syndrome after observing a work colleague receive poor treatment as part of the redundancy process.