Ways to support a grieving employee at the time of a loss:
- Acknowledging and saying something simple such as “I’m sorry for your loss”.
- Avoiding clichés such as: You’ll get over it or It’s for the best.
- Attending the funeral or service.
- Sending a card or flowers on behalf of the organization or the team.
- Preparing food or dropping by the employee’s home.
- Asking the grieving employee what you can do to help.
- Being open to the employee’s need to talk about their loss.
When returning to work employers need to:
- Learn to identify that some employees may return to work too soon and may need more time to sufficiently recover from their loss.
- Recognize that some employees will find comfort in getting back into a work routine. Don’t discourage these employees from returning to work.
- Be watchful and do what you can to ensure that grieving employees are looking after themselves during the grieving process by eating well and drinking enough water, as dehydration is common when people are in grief.
- Briefly but frequently show concern and ask what you can do to help.
- Ensure the employee has someone at work they can talk to about their loss if they wish to.
- Treat the employee as normally as possible.
- Understand that it is not unusual for someone to experience significant grief for a period of months or even years.
- It is normal to cry at any time when grieving and it is not usually necessary to try and stop. If the crying interferes with the work environment, have a conversation with the employee about where there is a safe and private space they can use to cry.
Supporting employees to remain productive:
The most common physical responses to grief are low energy, muscle aches and pains and generalized tension. This may result in employees being unable to cope with work tasks.
- Discuss with the employee any modifications that can help them do their work.
- Offer specific, concrete help such as information on bereavement leave and benefit entitlements.
- If possible, be flexible about time off, especially during the first weeks of bereavement, keeping in mind that some employees may need more time off than others.
- Reduce or eliminate pressure by prioritizing a grieving employee’s responsibilities and with their input, when possible, reducing their workload if necessary for a period of time.
- Avoid assigning new tasks or additional responsibilities when the employee is still struggling with grief.