Do you remember a conversation with your manager where you advised them of your own personal grief or loss?
If you have been in this situation, I have no doubt you remember your manager’s reply, the next steps taken/not taken and how your employer dealt with the situation.
Why?
When we experience a life event, which involves grief or loss, we will always remember how we were treated whether that is positively, negatively, supported or not supported.
It is something that is NEVER forgotten.
If you are a manager of people and you are reading this blog, please take a moment to consider the impact you have made on others in your career. How did you support grief and loss in your workplace?
Workplace support
Hearing negative scenarios of how grief and loss was being managed in the workplace was the catalyst for me to break down another taboo topic and work with Jill Attree – Grief and Loss Specialist to support the workplace.
Guess what… it’s not all doom and gloom!
Attendees leave feeling supported, understood and even happier to work for their employer in a culture where talking about grief and loss is ok!
The aim is to remove judgement and increase empathy.
There is no doubt that at some point in our career, we will go through grief and loss and we will require some form of support. That support will look different for each individual.
When we talk about grief and loss many will immediately think about death. However, have you ever considered grief and loss could also be due to:
- Divorce/end of a relationship
- Domestic abuse
- Miscarriage, stillbirth, abortion
- Infertility
- Change in health (accident/illness)
- Job loss
- Children
- Pets
- Menopause
- Death of a not so loved one
Do you know?
56% of employees would consider leaving their job if their employee did not provide support if someone close to them died – Source, Dying Matters
43% of employees who had been bereaved felt pressured to return to work before they were ready – Source, Marie Curie
1 in 3 line managers (31%) would welcome help on how to support bereaved employees – Source, Marie Curie
Maybe it’s time to make grief and loss comfortable in your workplace…
