When an employee comes to you to tell you that they’ve lost a loved one, it can feel stressful and emotional. But moments like this are crucial for establishing the type of workplace culture that you work to build every day as a leader and, most importantly, for building trust with your employees on a human level. Here are some things you should do to help make this process as smooth as possible for your whole team.
IT’S TIME TO SWITCH GEARS SO YOU CAN GIVE YOUR EMPLOYEE THE IMMEDIATE SUPPORT THEY NEED
It can feel hard to turn your brain off from the humdrum of everyday business, but your job now is to be there for your colleague. Take a deep breath and get ready to listen.
While it may sound counterintuitive, don’t linger too long on offers of comfort or condolences. Your role right now is to show—rather than express—your support. Ask about what’s on their plate for the day so that you can take on the job of wrapping up their work for a while. Then outline the next steps for getting them the company’s bereavement leave information via email later in the day.
Give your employee room to talk about work or personal concerns. Some might find comfort in discussing their upcoming responsibilities and meetings to ensure everything is handed off smoothly. Others might need to go home quickly to be with their loved ones.
Lean into being flexible in the moments immediately following a loss. Everyone processes grief differently. Don’t assume that one course of action will fit all your employees. Give them space to consider how you can best support them as an individual. If you are unsure how to help, start by asking about what they need, how you can assist, or what you can do to take work tasks off their plate.
PROVIDE THOUGHTFUL SUPPORT AND COMMUNICATION THROUGHOUT THE BEREAVEMENT PROCESS
Once the immediate shock wears off and you’ve dealt with the initial plans, it’s time to learn how you can be there for your employee and their family. Think about how you are providing value—not just gestures.
Look into whether the family is open to having you or other coworkers attend the funeral. If yes, take it upon yourself to communicate that to the full team. Are they accepting flowers or donations to a certain charity? Open to having dinner dropped off for a week? Share something on behalf of you and your team, and give your other employees the opportunity to do the same.
You can also consider services that are more tailored to your employee’s needs than a bouquet. Check in with HR or look at existing company discounts to see if you can help provide house cleaners, child or pet care, meal delivery services, travel agents, estate and probate lawyers, grief counseling, or other forms of assistance. These unique touchpoints allow you to express your values as a company and support your employee in the ways they most need help.
Err on the side of providing more guidance for your staff about how to best communicate with the bereaved employee. Establish a point of contact for the employee (this can be you, an HR person, or someone else in the office whom the employee is close to). This person will become the go-to for all things bereavement-leave-related but should still try to keep emails and calls to a minimum.
SHOW APPRECIATION FOR YOUR TEAM WHEN THEY STEP UP DURING A BEREAVED COLLEAGUE’S ABSENCE
Loss is unpredictable, meaning it can come when your team is busy. You must give your grieving employee their space while on bereavement leave, meaning you must be prepared to support the colleagues who will have to step up and take on some of their work.
Be ready to communicate openly and honestly about the tasks and priorities newly on everyone’s plate. This is a time to clearly articulate your company’s values. Even so, some employees may be stretched thin and also need your support. You should be flexible, solutions-oriented, and prepared to fill in the gaps, whether that means helping to cover the workload or having consistent touchpoints with employees bearing the brunt of the redistributed work. It’s your time to show off those management skills!
BE THERE TO HELP EASE THE TRANSITION BACK TO WORK
Returning from bereavement leave can be stressful for an employee. Everyone knows why they were out, and that can make them feel like all the attention is on them. So diffuse that attention a bit. Don’t call them out in a team meeting with anything other than a quick acknowledgment that they’re back. You can always approach them after the meeting to offer more support.
One-on-one is the name of the game. Set up time with them to get them back up to speed, and listen to their concerns about coming back. Have conversations with the rest of the team to ensure you are all on the same page about how best to welcome back a bereaved colleague.
Remember that grief is not linear. Your employee may need more flexibility in the days, weeks, and months following a loss, whether that means a quiet place in the office where they can take some time or more work-from-home options.
HAVE A PLAN FOR NEXT TIME—BECAUSE THERE WILL BE ONE
Lastly, take time during and after this process to check in on how it went. Are there things about your bereavement leave policy that you could improve moving forward? Would the team benefit from grief and loss support offerings? Could you have handled conversations with the bereaved employee and your team better if you had prepared a few key phrases?
Loss is a normal part of life, but navigating loss in the workplace can be a delicate challenge. Take every opportunity you can to think carefully about how you and your team are best prepared to handle it in the workplace.
Source – https://www.fastcompany.com/91355984/5-tips-for-managers-dealing-with-grief-in-the-workplace