Due to the pandemic the bereavement landscape has changed, dramatically. For every person that died, countless others were made to pick up the pieces. This has shown how vital it is to have the time, support and tools in place which are necessary to grieve.
Most or all of us will experience the death of a person close to them during their working lives at some point or another.
A Safety Net in Place
Bereavement should not be an afterthought. Many employees who suffer a bereavement will have jobs at companies without a clear work place bereavement policy. A solid policy will provide immediate and ongoing support for employees. This will help relationships and appreciation towards their employers.
Empathy builds trust and it is a vital part of building a respectful and caring workplace.
Learn How Grief Impacts People
Anyone can feel deskilled in situations of bereavement, colleagues say they find it hard to find right words when they hope to better support the grieving. Bereavement training will highlight the importance of showing your employee empathy and compassion. Empowering and encouraging them to improving their mental and physical wellbeing.
On Return to Work
On their return to work we need to learn how to be accommodating and flexible so we can ease employees back into their routines. Grieving will be a different process for everyone, it is quite usual to lose focus with our minds on other things. We need to be able to make allowances for this. Regular reviews can be put in place as a means of support and to just check in.
Grieving isn’t over in a week, a month or a year, we need to be sensitive to birthdays, anniversaries and holidays.
It’s important that employers know how grief can affect us emotionally, physically, psychologically and spiritually. A bereavement friendly culture is paramount to building a more caring environment in the workplace.
Stacey Hart