How to Support an Employee Dealing with Grief
4 December 2024
The 2nd to 6th of December is National Grief Awareness Week, with the campaign focusing on connecting communities with bereavement services. Many employees will, at some point, grieve in the workplace, with their colleagues forming part of their immediate community. During this blog, we’ll explore how employers can support an employee dealing with grief, empowering managers with the skills they’ll need to help.
In the UK, there’s no statutory right regarding paid bereavement leave. Most employers offer three to five days of paid leave, judging each situation individually. Generally, employers may expect employees who need more time off to use annual or unpaid leave. However, there are some circumstances where this may differ, and ACAS is a valuable resource for employees who need clarification on their entitlement, should they need it.
How Can Employers Support an Employee Dealing with Grief?
58% of employees said grief impacted their performance at work months after bereavement (Marie Curie).
Grief doesn’t come with a time limit, but as human beings with loved ones in our lives, we know that we’ll need more than three days to come to terms with our loss. However, we also know that we need to work to pay our bills, especially if we have dependents.
For this reason, many employees will go through the grief cycle whilst continuing to work, which is why employers and managers must prepare to support them.
The Importance of Flexibility
Bereavement in the workplace is thought to cost the UK economy nearly £23bn a year, and not due to absenteeism, but presenteeism (Sue Ryder).
Presenteeism is a topic we discuss often concerning sickness absences. Presenteeism - working when not at full physical health - costs the economy more than absenteeism does. It makes sense that the same is true with those not at peak emotional or mental health.
It’s true that employees can request either annual or unpaid leave, taking some of the extra time they need to grieve away from the office, but this has financial implications. Bereaved employees may face financial changes and be reliant on their income. Offering additional flexibility on working hours and location is essential, ensuring employees can manage their changing home life and even step away from work if needed.
Creating a Community
54% of employees expressed concern that taking time off would affect their job security (Marie Curie).
Psychologist, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, identified five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance in 1969. There’s no set time limit for each stage - it will be unique for all - but one or more of these stages will likely occur whilst at work. It’s essential to ensure that, at the very minimum, your people managers can recognise these signs and provide the necessary support at each stage, even if that’s signposting to the best source of help.
Employees will inform HR or their manager if a bereavement requires them to take time off work. Advice from grief counsellors is that it’s beneficial to make colleagues aware of the loss to ensure they can act with empathy, and people managers and HR can take on this task. This small step means that when an employee returns to work, they're less likely to face triggering situations.
Remove the Taboo
The taboo that surrounds discussing grief at work isn’t born from a lack of compassion and understanding. It’s because colleagues and employers can relate to the extent of the suffering and fear making the situation worse.
There’s no denying that it’s a difficult subject to discuss, requiring emotional resilience from your people leaders and trust from the grieving employee. HR leaders can help remove the taboo by clearly communicating their bereavement policies alongside any other employee benefits or workplace policies. Creating a culture of openness and support is essential for helping employees through the grieving process, ensuring they don’t suffer in silence. Often, the workplace, the routine - distraction it offers, and the sense of control can be precisely what a grieving employee needs.
How EAP Can Support an Employee Dealing with Grief
Our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) is an impactful employee benefit that provides access to BACP-accredited counsellors 24/7, 365 days a year, and an app full of resources, including a grief journal, podcasts, and insights to help them through their grief. It also has a crisis support feature if they need help immediately.
Empowering Managers
When employees progress to people management, they undergo specific training to help them give their best. Bereavement training is unlikely to be offered as standard. That’s why ensuring managers have the resources they need when they need them can be a game-changer for them and those they’re trying to support.
14% of HR professionals claimed they weren’t confident they could effectively support or even know what to say to a bereaved employee (Marie Curie).
You can’t expect managers and team leaders to automatically know how to support an employee dealing with grief. We’re all human, but it’s a difficult situation for all involved, and many fear saying the ‘wrong thing.’ Our EAP desktop site contains resources your managers can use to give them the confidence and information needed to support a grieving colleague. Our EAP app can provide valuable resources at the touch of a button - something your managers can share with their colleagues when offering support.
Providing Professional Guidance
Depression is a natural stage of grief, but the severity of it differs from person to person. Sometimes, family, friends, colleagues, and managers can’t give what’s needed. Providing grieving employees with the ability to contact a professional can be a lifesaver.
We’re not suggesting that grief will always lead to depression, but depending on the loss, it’s a risk to consider. Having a professional and confidential conversation will help employees help themselves through the grieving process. When you understand the journey grief may take you on and have the tools to help push through, it can prevent you from becoming overwhelmed.
Simply having someone there who knows what to say can make all the difference.
Providing Practical Support
When considering how to support an employee dealing with grief, it isn’t just the emotional implications. Earlier in this blog, we mentioned that there could be financial implications, especially if an employee has lost a spouse or partner. They may have to sort through bank accounts and savings or navigate legal matters. It’s a difficult task at the best of times, made even more challenging when dealing with personal loss.
Our EAP includes access to Information Specialists who can help employees navigate bereavement and provide information on any potential benefits available. They can support with debt and legal issues, too.
Embed the Solutions. Shine a Light.
EAPs are an investment in your people, protecting and supporting them whenever needed. We shouldn’t put a price on our employees’ mental health, but in business, money matters. The funds must be available, which is why it’s good to know that for every £1 you invest in supporting your employees’ mental health, you can expect a £5.30 return (Deloitte), making the provision of support a business and people essential.
Still, one of the most impactful ways to support an employee dealing with grief is to ensure you’ve created a culture that leaves them with no doubt that you’re in their corner every step of the way.
Sources: ACAS, Marie Curie, Sue Ryder, Deloitte.
