Almost every employee will experience grief and loss at some point in their career.

Mental Health

Personal life stressors, such as the death of a loved one, have negative effects on employee’s well-being and ability to function. Companies have the power to shape a person’s grief process by empowering and motivating everyone to connect and support one another. If these difficult times are managed correctly, the employee’s commitment to the workplace would be strengthened; otherwise, the employee becomes alienated from the company.

The silence about the pain is harmful to bereaved people, and companies should have policies that encouraging everyone to support bereaved employees. It is the company’s responsibility to develop a new vision, understanding and an empathic approach about how to offer support for grief and loss.

Social services (if available), bereavement leave periods, the company’s bereavement policy, and the application processes need to be shared clearly with the bereaved employees, in order them to benefit from the rights and opportunities.

“Grief and loss in the workplace” training module helps to set loss, grief and trauma in the context of the value of developing a workplace well-being approach.