Bereavement and grief in the workplace
In the workplace, grief can lead to decreased productivity, difficulty concentrating, increased absenteeism, and strained relationships with colleagues, writes Caroline Reidy
Print5 May 2025
Grief is something all employees experience will experience at some time during their career. It is therefore important that we know how to deal with grief in the workplace.
As organisations increasingly prioritise mental health and well-being, understanding how to navigate bereavement grief in the workplace is essential.
In the workplace, grief can lead to decreased productivity, difficulty concentrating, increased absenteeism, and strained relationships with colleagues.
An employee may struggle to meet deadlines or engage in team activities, leading to frustration among co-workers and managers
Different types of grief
There are different types of grief. Therefore, it’s important to be mindful that grief can be ongoing, and it can affect different people in different ways.
- Anticipatory grief occurs when death is expected. It can start long before the person passes away and is often brought on by a diagnosis or when the person’s health starts to deteriorate.
- Normal grief begins soon after the loss occurs, and the bereaved person begins to accept the loss and continue their day-to-day tasks.
- Complicated grief is grief that lasts a lot longer than normal and can affect the bereaved person’s ability to carry out day to day tasks.
- Delayed grief is when a reaction to the loss occurs at a later time. This can be brought on by another significant life event or by something unrelated.
A bereavement policy means a consistent approach
Bereavement Policies are not just good practice, they are extremely helpful to employees and managers, ensuring a proactive and equitable approach by clearly defining employee entitlements and supports.
While employers have no legal obligation to offer Compassionate Leave, most will offer it as a gesture of goodwill. Typically, Compassionate Leave policies may offer three-five days for an immediate family member and possibly 1-2 days for any other family member. An immediate family member would usually be a parent, spouse, sibling or child.
Having a well-rounded and well-communicated bereavement policy which refers to general bereavement supports, an EAP (Employee Assistance Programme) along with the provision of compassionate leave, can help your employees to feel well supported during times of personal loss due to bereavement.
Supporting employees who are grieving
A sincere approach is always important. It is more beneficial when employees feel they can approach their manager or employer with regard any ongoing problems. It can be helpful to set time aside for employees and listen sympathetically in a private space. However, it is important to retain boundaries and as a manager, our role is not to become a counsellor but to know how to gently direct an employee to access the relevant supports.
Many organisations offer employee assistance programmes (EAP) which include free counselling sessions. These are an excellent support for employees and very useful for managers to refer employees to as it provides the appropriate support. In some cases where an employee may be very distressed, it may be appropriate to allow them to go home and recommend that they contact their GP. They can then revert to confirm when they are fit to attend work again.
Remember, it is important to support colleagues who might find it difficult when the time comes to return to work.
Manager training
Training sessions for managers on how to handle grief in the workplace can be extremely beneficial. This training should cover the emotional aspects of grief, how to approach grieving employees, and the importance of maintaining a supportive team atmosphere
Some useful tips for different scenarios
When an employee has been bereaved due to the loss of a family member or someone, they are close to:
- Offer your condolences on behalf of the company and some time off.
- Ask what the company can do to help e.g., if it’s a spouse or child the employee may need additional time off and may also need to make some long-term changes.
- Refer to supports and services available both inside and outside the company.
- Offer a phased return to work
- Have regular check ins with the employee
- Use discretion and maintain confidentiality
In the event of the loss of a work colleague
- Have a designated response plan with a list of supports
- Use a calm, sombre approach as it is extremely sensitive and may also be traumatic for those who may have worked closely with the deceased employee
- Offer to arrange a book of condolences.
- Make arrangements to allow employees the option of attending the funeral service.
- Offer assistance and support to the family.
- When sharing information always be mindful of confidentiality and GDPR. Its best to check with the next of kin and agree what will be communicated and timing etc.
- Provide training to your management team to provide support to employees
If you are an organisation based in the Republic of Ireland and require further information or advice relating to HR, please do not hesitate to contact The HR Suite office on (066)7102887, email info@thehrsuite.com and visit www.thehrsuite.com
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