Home

Services & Personnel

• About Hospice
• FAQ
• Cost of Services
• Social Work
• Medical/Nursing
• Hospice Aides
• Spiritual Care
• Bereavement
• Stepping Stones
• Volunteers
• Board of Directors
• Community Outreach
• Contact Us

News & Information

• News Archive
• Lending Library
• Privacy Documents
• Regional Hospice Groups
• Links

Getting Involved

• Charitable Giving
• Be a Volunteer
• Thrift Store
• Make a Referral
• Career Opportunities

When a Co-worker Experiences Loss

Living with grief in the workplace presents both emotional and practical challenges.  For the employer, it interferes with productivity and threatens the “bottom-line.”  It makes co-workers uncomfortable. For the employee, it emerges at inconvenient times and makes accomplishing even simple tasks difficult. Ignoring grief, however, is far from an effective solution. Both employees and employers will suffer.

After the death of a loved one the bereaved employee may feel a sense of disconnection when returning to the work. The intensity of the experience surrounding the death of a loved one and the inability to convey it to co-workers can contribute to feelings of isolation.

Perhaps the biggest error we make in the dealing with other people’s loss is expecting them to be back to normal a few days after the death. Because of deadlines and other pressures of the workplace that expectation is likely to be more pronounced. It is also unrealistic.

Since grief is a process that everyone goes through differently and on a different time table, it is important to recognize some employees will seek comfort in their work; whereas others may simply get through the day. Regardless of the differences, the process will likely be lengthy and draining.
Although, grief is experienced uniquely by each person; typically, it shows itself in the workplace as a mixture of exhaustion, withdrawal, difficulty concentrating, depression, irritability and a lack of motivation and/or interest.
Your co-worker may not be the same person you knew before the death occurred. Experiencing grief may cause them to make more errors than usual and they may be distracted. This is a normal reaction to the internal chaos caused by bereavement.  Your understanding and allowances for less than their best performance will ease their burden. If it is appropriate, you can even offer to help with their workload or donate paid time off for needed respite from the workplace.

Your co-worker may be more sensitive or cry. Although shedding tears in the work place is generally frowned upon, remind yourself (and others) that mourning is a normal and healthy response to death. The loss of a loved one is a life altering, sometimes personality changing event. Expect tears and sadness. 

Being open to listening to their story (more than once) provides enormous comfort to your co-worker.  If you knew the deceased, don’t hesitate to relate a humorous or touching memory of him or her. Avoid saying, “I know how you feel.” Each person’s grief is different. 
There may be times when the bereaved employee doesn’t feel like talking. Respect their privacy. Honor closed doors and quiet moments.
A handwritten note that says, "I'm sorry or thinking of you” or an offer to supply meals or help with child care are effective ways to show support to your bereaved co-worker.  Later on, visits after work hours can be comforting because people who are grieving usually have company immediately after a death, but it often dwindles leaving them feeling alone.

As a supervisor, be aware of strategies that will assist your bereaved employee in their readjustment to the work environment. These include acknowledging the loss and offering heartfelt sympathy and support.  Participate in the memorial or funeral service, if possible.  As the weeks and months pass, refrain from growing impatient with your bereaved employee. Grief does not keep a timetable. It will likely be a painful time for the employee for many months after the death.

An effective supervisor will check in with the bereaved employee every few weeks for a ten to fifteen minute meeting. This is an opportunity to discuss areas of difficulty as well as identify areas of satisfactory functioning. Be sure to reinforce that the bereaved employee continues to be a valuable part of the team.

Make A Donation

• Download Donation Form (pdf)
• Main Donation Page

Make Your Wishes Known

• About Advance Directives
• Get Acrobat Reader

Quotes