A panel at the ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth “State of Post-Trauma” conference, held with the Histadrut, examined how post-traumatic stress is affecting Israel’s workplaces. The discussion, moderated by Sharon Kidon, came after new figures showed about 52% of workers are expected to reach the summer vacation period with no remaining leave, after repeated absences linked to the war with Iran.
Panelists said the impact is showing up in unexpected ways. Irith Porian-Weizman, deputy chief human resources officer at the Histadrut, described an office maintenance worker helping set up a memorial ceremony who suddenly began speaking about his own experiences. “The number of people dealing with post-trauma is unimaginable,” she said.
Adam Blumenberg, the Histadrut’s deputy director general for economics and policy, said the country is only at the beginning of a long process. He said Israel entered October 7 with 60,000 people physically or mentally injured, and expects that figure to reach 100,000 by the end of the decade. He added that after the fighting, many reservists will return home after 600 days and have to rebuild both family life and work, requiring “a completely different culture” and a more inclusive society.
Inbal Roee, senior deputy wage commissioner at the Finance Ministry, said mental health has a decisive effect on labor productivity, and that demand for treatment is rising sharply. She said Israel and the Histadrut have signed agreements in the past three years covering a broad range of caregivers, including social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists and psychiatric nurses, in amounts not seen since the state’s founding.
The speakers agreed managers need training, awareness and practical tools. Porian-Weizman said she prepared her own staff by sending one employee to NATAL training and assembling a kit for managers returning workers from reserve duty. Blumenberg argued the government has not done enough, saying, “Unfortunately the government is not in the event,” and that the crisis will not be solved without intervention. He cited a 2.5 billion shekel state package for social-security contributions for reservists’ employers, a protective order extending anti-dismissal protection for reservists from one month to two, and eight additional vacation days for reservists’ spouses. He also said Israel still faces a 180 billion shekel gap in civilian spending versus developed OECD countries.
