The Family Assistance Education & Research Foundation (FAERF) has been at the forefront of the evolution of emergency management, combining the head-heart approach for a fully integrated response to survivors of traumatic loss. Practicing consciousness in the workplace involves caring for people first, without exception.
Written by: Carolyn V. Coarsey, Ph.D.
March 2025
A recent article in Berkeley University’s Greater Good publication reviewed research on friendly workplaces. The article, entitled Why Kind Workplaces Are More Successful turned out to be very relevant to an elective course we are currently developing for the I-HARP™ Practitioner’s Certificate, Remembrance Ceremonies. The course includes interview segments with FAERF Advisory Board Member, Jennifer Scotten, an experienced Human Resource leader with Equinor, an energy company based in Stavanger, Norway.
Jennifer describes how she and her team planned and delivered the Commemoration Service remembering former Statoil employees on the 10-year anniversary of the terrorist attack at In Amenas. Listening to Jennifer describe how she and her team planned and delivered the service and supporting activities, it became clear that the ceremony is a true example of the term prosociality.
Prosociality is generally defined as positive social behavior intended to promote the welfare of others. Numerous studies show that people who practice gratitude consistently have higher levels of positive emotions, are more alert, alive, and awake, and enjoy more pleasure in life. While it is widely recognized that remembrance rituals, including commemorations and memorials, facilitate the healing and integration of losses, they can also serve as a morale booster for all employees, including those who become involved in the planning and execution of the services.
About the terrorist attack and the 10-Year Recognition Activities
On the 16 of January, 2013, 40 people lost their lives when terrorists attacked the In Amenas gas facility in Algeria. Equinor, then Statoil, had 17 employees at the facility and 5 lost their lives in the deadly attack. At the In Amenas gas facility, in honor of the 40 people who lost their lives, 40 trees were planted, in addition to a ceremony lead by the Algerian authorities Flags were flown at Norwegian office locations as a sign of respect.
A private commemoration was held in Stavanger, the home office of Equinor, honoring the families, friends, and colleagues of those who lost their lives as well as others impacted by the attack. In Jennifer’s interview, she describes the great length she and her planning team went to avoid leaving anyone out. While not everyone could be involved in every part of the ceremony—where it was possible to involve survivors, including employees, they were included.
For us, the most important stakeholders in the remembrance and the commemoration was the families and the survivors. So early on in the planning process, we solicited their feedback, we contacted each family and discussed what would be important for them, what they would like to do, and what they would like us not to do, and that was very important for us.
-Jennifer Scotten
Too often, leaders begin and end the planning process without input from the people the ceremony was intended to support. Throughout the interview, Jennifer describes the various ways she included families of the victims and survivors themselves in decisions. Jennifer also discussed including a third group—employees who worked the location but were on a different rotation when the attack occurred. They had not been included in the one-year commemoration. Jennifer and her team let them know they would be included in the ten-year commemoration.
Several studies find that behaviors like helping colleagues, showing initiative, promoting a positive work environment, and going beyond basic job expectations have important benefits.
-Kia Afcari, Why Kind Workplaces are More Successful
Another area that Jennifer discusses in the interview is the inclusion of employees who had a connection with the tragedy, including responders, volunteers, those who worked extra hours in the call center, and leaders who worked at the company at the time. This included large numbers. Keeping with the families’ and survivors’ requests, Jennifer and the team assisted everyone who had an emotional connection to the tragedy to feel included, while honoring the need to maintain an intimate environment for the primary group.
The team, where possible, tried to communicate with everyone as to whether they could attend the service and an explanation of why or why not. The major learning here was the need to communicate with as many people as possible, rather than sending emails. In speaking directly with each person who came forward, the team found a few people who were struggling emotionally after 10 years. This enabled them to provide further support.
In the complete interview, Jennifer discusses how she and the team worked with the survivors and families to determine all of the specifics necessary for the event, including location, seating arrangements, flowers, music, reading, who would speak, the language(s), which executive(s), employees should be invited, and many more details. What is truly impressive is the extent they went to involve every stakeholder, as much as various constraints would allow.
In her closing comments, Jennifer talked about how she involved others for her own support and guidance.
I think for me, it was important to have a group of people who have gone through similar incidents and are involved with an emergency response and a personal response. To be able to sit down and talk with them and share what you’ve done is crucial. It is also important to know people with whom you can speak after the event and discuss your feelings. It’s like being in the event itself, and I can’t imagine what the families must have felt afterwards in terms of the emotions they felt and how exhausted they must’ve been after that day. It is also important to recognize that those who are supporting have similar needs. I talked to small groups and I know I have an understanding of what it’s like. I think that was important.
-Jennifer Scotten
At the Foundation, we look forward to sharing the course with Jennifer’s complete interview. It is an essential topic in our I-HARP™ program and provides an excellent example of the empowerment that takes place when we honor the survivors, families, and all with a connection to an event where lives are lost and forever impacted by a tragedy. We will announce when the Elective is ready.
To enroll in our certificate program or learn more, please FAERF.ORG