We have a new student from overseas in our house, we have two students we host from a local school and have done it for years, we love it. Each time one leaves or completes yr 12 to go to uni we get a new one. This year was no different and the new one is a little younger than we have had in a while. They are overseas students and the issues with language keeps us communicating very carefully most of the time.So last night we sat down to dinner, and the youngest one was not saying much (not uncommon) but then she got up from the table and collapsed (I was glad I didn’t cook!) really she just fainted, she had not eaten all day and had only had a little water, so the result was a teenager flat out on the floor!

After the initial panic my wife and I remembered some basic first aid skills, made a hurried call to the school coordinator. I get our long term students to fill out an info sheet so I can know about any allergies etc, so I knew she had none of those happening, it was a process of elimination and asking her questions etc to establish the situation better. It still caused a shock for me as its not every day a teenager faints in our house!
On evaluating the situation I was looking for any ways I could have done things differently and made a few pointers in my head, then it dawned on me, how about in the workplace.

Just like any workplace this was the scenario, zero incidents for 7 - 8 years, then voom, one that gets you thinking. So what would you do? A new employee starts and faints day one, perhaps its stress related, perhaps they did not eat beacuse of it (the stress that is!) perhaps they have a medical condition they did not want to let anyone know about due to any negative pre conceptions.

May I suggest you find ways of making them at ease and assist them to take care of themselves in those early moments in their new position. It could be a great time to evaluate any induction and orientation program you have in place or perhaps it’s time to start one.

Stumble it!