Workplace Support
Equip your people with practical tools to help them navigate grief, uncertainty and change.
Grief in the workplace
Uncertainty & change
As a Leader, you needn’t navigate this alone
When an employee has died, or someone in the workplace is grieving the death of a loved one, the impact on colleagues can be significant. Grief in the workplace can be overwhelming for both employers and employees. It can be difficult to know how best to respond, and how to strike the right balance between ensuring employees feel well supported and understood in their grief, and minimising disruptions to productivity.
The current cost of living, job market and rise in the use of AI are just some of the many factors that can lead individuals or teams to feel uncertain or scared. Workplace restructures are another obvious cause of uncertainty and concern for people. As humans we are hardwired to like familiarity and certainty. It keeps us feeling safe and in control. Yet of course there are many things that can happen that challenge our sense of security and ‘okayness’, at home and at work.
When employees experience events that impact their sense of certainty - whether in their professional or personal lives - the impact can be significant. Some people are naturally more adept to embracing change. Yet everyone can benefit from learning practical ways to navigate times of uncertainty and change.
Feeling stuck, unsure how best to support your staff. That’s where I come in. I equip people with practical tools they can put in place immediately to help them better cope when life is messy and hard (Delivered with good measures of compassion, sensitivity and ‘heart’!).
I offer a range of different types of support - masterclasses, webinars or support and education sessions -depending on what is most needed. The first step is to organise an initial complimentary conversation. This allows me to understand the unique needs of your workplace and, for us together, to agree what needs to happen, next, and the aspects that you would like my help with.
Contact me now. Your employees will thank you for doing so!
Enter your details to gain immediate access to my guide ‘Cultivating a grief-informed workplace culture.’
This sets out five practical steps you can take to support grieving employees.
The cost of unsupported grief in the workplace
One in four employees may be grieving at any one time.
James & Friedman (2003)
Grieving employees unsupported at work will be absent from work for an average of 30 days, due to the loss.
Wilson, MacLeod & Houttekier (2016)
Estimates of the length of time work performance is impacted by bereavement, ranges from months to years. Symptoms of ‘foggy brain’ which impacts a person’s ability to concentrate on work-related tasks or perform at previous levels, can last from six to 18 months.
Corporon & Cooper
Presenteeism - when an employee is physically present at work, yet not present emotionally and unable to perform tasks to their usual standard - cuts individual productivity by one-third or more. This equates to about 87.5 lost workdays per grieving employee.
Corporon & Cooper
All employees are likely to take bereavement leave at some point in their working life, with the medium number of bereavements experienced by employees, being five.
Hemp (2004)
Keen to support your staff, yet unsure how? Let’s chat.
I bet you’re a great Leader, yet possibly feel out of your depth when it comes to supporting staff through life’s most challenging times. And that’s fair enough. This stuff isn’t covered in school or Executive Leadership programmes (although I think it should be!). Partner with me, and show your people your willingness to show up for them. The benefits will come back to you tenfold!
If you're an Employer questioning whether to seek grief support for your team, let these facts convince you to reach out.