The headlines rang out early Monday morning as many of us were preparing to leave home for work: DEADLIEST MASS SHOOTING IN US HISTORY. Coffee. IT WAS MADNESS. Toasted bagel. 50+ KILLED, MORE THAN 500 INJURED. Orange Juice. THERE WAS BLOOD EVERYWHERE.

Sunday night at the highlight concert of the Route 91 Harvest Festival, 64-year-old Steven Paddock smashed out two windows in his 32nd floor suite at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and rained down terror on the 20,000+ unassuming concertgoers at the festival below. To date, the death toll has risen 59, with more than 527 injured victims.

Due to the sheer number of those affected, we are all likely to know someone that was in attendance or impacted by this tragedy in some way. As the nation mourns with the families of those who lost loved ones, employers are wondering what it is that they can do to assist their employees in the healing process.

1. Support the Grieving Process
First, support the grieving process and acknowledge that everyone grieves differently. We live in an era of the 24/7 news cycle. Employees receive news over morning coffee, on the drive into work, and as they check their social media pages for the latest baby pictures. There is no escaping it, the news is everywhere. To this end, create safe spaces at work where employees can discuss their thoughts and feelings. Perhaps this is in the breakroom or around the water cooler or a dedicated room in the building for talking about tough issues. Wherever it is, embrace the fact that employees will want and need to discuss these issues with their colleagues.

2. Show that you Care
If your company lost an employee or had an employee injured in the attack, send a company-wide email sending your condolences and offering your support. Connect with your employees in a positive way and let them know you have staff, either human resources personnel or grief counselors, on standby to assist employees in sorting out their feelings.

3. Get to Helping
While it is nearly impossible for everyone in your organization to get to Las Vegas to assist in the aftermath, create opportunities for employees to provide assistance to those affected. Whether it’s a company sponsored blood drive, food drive, or writing notes of encouragement to first responders or victims, just get to helping.

4. Employee Assistance Programs
If your organization already has an employee assistance program, you’re already halfway there. Remind employees by email that those programs are available for their use and be sure to include the website and telephone contact information. If your organization does not have a standardized employee assistance program, consider implementing one. These programs provide great benefits to employees seeking not only grief counseling, but also debt relief counseling, money management, and lifestyle and fitness management services.

5. Work on Leniency
It is likely that for the first several days following a national tragedy employees will be less productive at work. Prepare for this and expect for there to be a lag as employees come to terms with what happened.

The most important thing to remember is that the workplace often serves as an extension of an employee’s identity, as it’s at work where some of our closest personal relationships and social interactions are born. Just as an employee would grieve and reconcile tragedy in the comfort of their home, they are likely to bring those issues to work with them. Be cognizant and open to these feelings and aim to support your team as they wrestle their way back to normal.