HR & Workplace

Grief in the workplace

• Can have a profound effect on staff members and impact various aspects of the workplace.
• Occurs when you or a co-worker experiences a personal loss or loss within in the workplace such as a death.
• Can cause colleagues to experience disenfranchised grief. (Grief that is unacknowledged)

What is grief?

• Grief is a normal response to loss; it is not a disease or problem that needs fixing.
• Grief affects us emotionally, physically, intellectually, and spiritually.
• Bereavement refers to the period of mourning and grief following the death of a beloved person. It is the state or fact of suffering the death of a loved one.
• Anticipatory grief refers to a grief reaction that occurs before an impending loss. Typically, the impending loss is a death of someone close due to illness but it can also be experienced by dying individuals themselves.

Grief & on-the-job performance

• Grief can affect an employee’s on-the-job performance and can manifest through:
• Inability to concentrate
• Lack of motivation
• Difficulty with decision-making
• Memory lapses
• Increased risk of illness or injury
• Grief is a process and a person does not simply ‘snap out of it’.
• Providing an employee with flexible workload can help facilitate productivity.

Key leadership tasks for managers

• Review and/or help develop company policies on bereavement.
• Have a plan in place for dealing with workplace grief.
• Create a workplace environment that acknowledges the grief process.
• Develop ways to effectively address the grieving employee’s morale and work capacity.
• Communicate with staff team.
• Mobilize people and resources.
• Seek support to lead the organization’s learning.
• Give staff time and space to deal with the death.
• Adjust employee’s workload.
• Ensure that your employee has access to your EAP service provider.

Helping a grieving co-worker: “Do…”

• Allow people to talk about their grief.
• Honor their emotions.
• Acknowledge their tears and other expressions of grief without judgment.
• Attend the funeral or memorial service if you feel comfortable doing so.
• Write a note of support or encouragement.
• Encourage them to seek out someone who can support them.
• Encourage self-care.
• Be patient with them – grief can be a long process.
• Maintain your support through the months ahead.
• Have resources handy.
• Respect confidentiality and avoid gossip.
• Be compassionate.

Helping a grieving co-worker: “Don’t…”

• Avoid saying anything; because saying ‘nothing’ is saying something!
• Worry about what to say – Just Listen!
• Avoid your co-worker or mentioning the deceased person’s name.
• Assume you know how they feel.
• Ignore or downplay their loss.
• Be afraid of their suffering. Expect and be okay with tears as these are a normal part of the grieving process.

Finding the “right” words

Instead of saying: “How are you today?”
You could say: “How are you coping/managing today.”

Instead of saying: “I understand just how you feel.”
You could say: “I cannot imagine how you are feeling.”

Instead of saying: “Time heals all wounds.”
You could say: “Take the time you need and be patient and gentle with yourself.”

Instead of saying: “At least he/she is no longer in pain.”
You could say: “I am sad for your loss.”

Instead of saying: “It’s God’s will” or “God does not give us anything we cannot handle.”
“I am thinking about you.”

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