How To Support Grieving Employees

Death and loss happen to employees and coworkers.  Family members die and some figure in unfortunate fatal accidents. When grief strikes coworkers, one can be profoundly affected as well – here are some steps to take to help comfort and support them at this difficult time.

The company management can organize ways to offer sympathy.  These include collecting money for a struggling employee, taking a dish to pass at a wake, lining up home-cooked dinners for weeks for the bereaved family, sending flowers, or sending a group card signed by coworkers.


Image source: Pixabay.com 

Bosses and managers should be specially equipped to deal with the situation.  They are, after all, the first ones to be informed in the organization when there is a sad life situation that occurs.  Be prepared to talk to the employee about available options, the bereavement leave, and details into the health or life insurance benefits, if applicable.  As an HR staff, be caring, supportive, and knowledgeable about the options available to the grieving employee.

Know, too, that offering employees more time to deal with the grief via longer bereavement leave or reduced work hours could wind up costing the organization less.  There are available mechanisms to ensure that work gets done while the employee finds time to heal.  Companies such as Facebook and Mastercard, for instance, have offered extended bereavement leaves to their employees.


Image source: Pixabay.com 

It’s also important to give the person all the time and space an employee needs.  Create a strategy to reassign projects, introduce a flexible schedule for the time being, and take some pressure off the employee’s back.

Dr. Wayne Imber is a retired professor of social and developmental psychology, having taught at many undergraduate and masters programs throughout Arizona, Chicago, and Massachusetts. For similar reads, visit this page.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Stay Healthy By Playing Golf

Image
Image source: amarillomagonline.com Golf may not seem like a sport that builds muscles and raises endurance and stamina. It may not improve a person’s physique the same way boxing does, or even football or basketball. It may not be as physically demanding as Greco-Roman wrestling or going through a triathlon. But there are definite health benefits to be reaped from the beautiful sport, though they may not be obvious at the get go. Take for instance your respiratory health. All that fresh air that occupies the greens can only be good for your breathing. Your lungs will be more than grateful for a few hours in the open. Couple this with the serene surroundings and you have a place that’s perpetually stress-relieving. That in itself is worth the price of admission if you ask me. Image source: justjared.com As we mentioned earlier, golf may not be track and field, but you do need to do an insane amount of walking. That’s a very good thing, especially for peop
Read more

How to make new friends in the digital age

Image
Making new friends as an adult seems like one of life’s greatest hurdles. Add this to the fact that we’re in the digital age now, where many socializations often occur on social media rather than in real life. How then can one make new friends at this time of life and in an increasingly wired world? Express genuine interest in someone Image source: Pixabay.com  If a person whose online persona inspires you, tell them how you feel through a message, comment, or email that you want to get to know him or her better. Work on developing a friendship with that intentional approach, and integrate both digital and personal means to make it work. Share a meal Invite a new coworker or a neighbor to join you for lunch. Gather fellow volunteers or members of a class or organization, and propose having a meal together. Make plans and make sure they happen! Image source: Pixabay.com  Maximize online platforms It’s ironic but these days the easiest way to make new re
Read more

Brain Flex: Improve Your Mental Strength With These Simple Exercises

Image
Like physical strength, mental toughness  is achieved through exercise.  And as much as your physical strength is crucial to performing tasks, your mental strength plays a big role in accomplishing them.  Increase your mental strength by doing these basic exercises. Image source:  success.com Read Read everything. From novels to articles to news to even cereal boxes. If you can’t find the time to read, try replacing an hour of television with reading. You don’t have to use an actual book to read (though it is preferable), digital content will do. Try learning something new every week Our brain rewires every time we try to learn something new.  It’s because the brain is doing something it hasn’t done before.  Ever wonder why days seems to get shorter as we grow older?  It’s actually our mental pathways get more and more defined because as adults, our days look a lot the same.  Mental strength requires that we continue building new neural pathways, and we do that by learn
Read more