How you can support an employee experiencing bereavement and grief.
In the UK since the pandemic in 2020, 1 in 8 people have experienced bereavement and 58% of people felt that their performance at work was still being affected by grief months after losing a loved one. Employees take on average 3 to 5 days as bereavement leave, but the timeframe for managing loss and grief is significantly longer.
Loss, grief and bereavement are incredibly complex, and they are difficult topics to navigate as an individual and a manager. We sat down with our Senior Associate in HR - ?Emma Barter to talk about what managers can do to support their employees during this difficult time.
When someone first discloses that they need to take some bereavement leave or they are experiencing loss, it is important to understand their boundaries and expectations early. It is key that you speak with them privately to grasp how they would like to communicate their loss and experience. It could be that they want the wider team to know but don’t want them to express condolences in person. Alternatively, they may want no-one to know.
If they are taking some time off to grieve, you should clarify how often they would like to be contacted while away from work, and whether this is just a text or a regular call. Some employees like to be kept in the loop when taking this time off and maintain a sense of normality. Others may not want to be contacted at all. 39% of bereaved adults struggled to get support from friends or family, so additional support from their manager during this time could make a huge difference.
If you are concerned for their mental health, you may look to direct them to your company's mental health first aider, employee assistance program or perhaps counselling through their health insurance provider.
Death can have a significant financial impact on individuals and the stress of managing the funeral and legal costs associated can be overwhelming. The employer could consider if they are able to provide discretionary pay for the duration, or part of their bereavement leave; this could be a great relief for someone experiencing loss. Extended paid leave also means that employees can return to work when they’re ready, and are not financially pressured to return.
You can also ask if they have any urgent or important work that needs covering while they are on leave so that this can be picked up by the rest of the team. Reducing the stress and workload they have to return to after bereavement leave will ensure a smoother return to work for the employee, and will be one less thing to worry about while dealing with loss.??
Grief can cause physical symptoms even months after experiencing loss, so there may be increased days of sickness for both mental and physical health reasons. As a manager, try to be patient and check in regularly. Flexibility and support are crucial as the typical grief recovery timeframe is long and varies from person to person.
If you are struggling with grief and bereavement there are many resources out there to support you. We have included some resources below:
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It can be difficult, as a manager, to balance the needs of the business and the employee. If you find yourself navigating this situation and would like some support, please feel free to reach out to us for an in-confidence conversation to help get you started.
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Compiled with information from the following resources:?
Partner and Vendor Engagement Manager
11 个月I pretty much got fired once.... Following the effects of a bereavment. No support mechanism or understanding. I am really glad this kind of this exists now. As if my world wasn't spiralling enough right? Managers and businesses I hope have come a long way since then!.. Lets keep the support for people going.