Death, bereavement and grief

https://www.bitc.org.uk/toolkit/covid-19-the-impact-on-death-bereavement-and-grief/

As of today –we have tragically over 100,000 Covid deaths in the UK and rising.

The UK has now has more new COVID cases per capita than any other country in the world.

Only the US has a per capita infection rate nearly equivalent to the UK of any country that has seen more than 1 million cases.

Most of us will have been touched by death, bereavement and grief during this pandemic – perhaps a colleague, a family member, a partner or a friend.

And even if the death wasn’t directly caused to Covid, coping with any bereavement during this pandemic will have been especially challenging due to the painful constraints of social distancing and funeral restrictions.

A close friend of mine died from Covid early last April. He spent weeks in intensive care surrounded by health professionals wearing dehumanising PPE and died alone on a ventilator.

Soon after my friend’s death I had been invited by National Grid to raise with them  issues that had been excacerbated by Covid.

My challenge to them was that death during COVID isn’t straight forward death in service and that they should look at updating their policies.

NG took that challenge on board and went further in partnering with BITC and KPMG to produce our death, bereavement and grief toolkit for the benefit of all employers.

Bereavement during this pandemic is often way more traumatic with the impact of social distancing and many people dying before their time.  

As a nation we are we reluctant and uncomfortable talking about death. We are worried about saying the wrong thing and therefore often say nothing at all.

We may never know the true extent of deaths caused directly or indirectly by COVID in the UK.

However, it’s important that we all step up to help those who are bereaved, process their grief. The legacy of our actions now will be felt for generations to come.

With COVID-19 altering dramatically the scale and nature of deaths in the UK, it has never been more important for business leaders to act with and encourage empathy, compassion, and inclusion; to integrate death and bereavement support into your mental health strategy, encourage healthy conversations about the topic, listen, and put protocols in place to empower line managers to support their reports.

We can’t know with any certainty what will happen in the months ahead, but we can take proactive steps to act responsibly now. BITC’s death, bereavement and grief toolkit for employers will help you think about your response and navigate these uncertain times.

The toolkit – designed for employers of all sizes to utilise during this pandemic and beyond – recognises that grief is a deeply personal affair. Employers are encouraged to leverage the key principles of dignity, decency and respect by acknowledging that many employees will be affected by death; responding and providing pragmatic support to employees to help them look after their wellbeing; and referring employees to available help and support. 

Leadership is crucial. Employers must stop shying away from discussing the deeply uncomfortable topic of death. There is an urgent need for all employers to take a pragmatic approach to considering the impact that thousands of deaths have, and continue to have, on employees. 

Inevitably, people will be experiencing trauma and even post traumatic stress disorder which if left untreated will have a serious impact in generations to come.

Now is the time for business communities to step up and collectively share the responsibility of talking openly about death, listening and supporting one another.