The impact of grief on the workplace is great. When someone experiences a loss, employees may experience lower productivity, the blues, or impaired decision-making abilities. Normal office communication patterns may fall by the wayside. Co-workers may experience stress in trying to identify the right ways to express their sentiments for another’s loss. How you or your work group reacts to a coworker’s loss or the death of a co-worker will affect the grieving process a great deal.
WHAT TO EXPECT…
- Your co-worker may seem depressed, withdrawn, short-tempered, absent-minded, or exhausted. These are normal emotions.
- Set limits in the workplace if you feel that the person’s need to talk about the loss is affecting your work. If your co-worker wants to talk, suggest specific times when you’ll be in a better position to listen, such as lunch, during break, or after work.
- You may have emotional feelings yourself, particularly if the loss is close to home and one with which you can easily empathize.
WHAT TO DO…
- Listen, but know that you can’t resolve the person’s grief.
- Help out by taking over a task or activity for the short term. Be specific in your offer.
- Alert your supervisor if the grieving person seems to be getting worse, talks about suicide, or exhibits severe, continuing dysfunction. Covering up will not help.
- Most importantly, don’t ignore someone who is grieving. Look at them. Think how you might feel and what you would need.
WHEN SOMEONE IN YOUR WORKPLACE DIES:
People who work closely together are like extended families, and when a co-worker dies, friends at work grieve. Here are some suggestions for handling the death of a co-worker:
- Create a memorial board. Keep a photo, card, or special item the person kept on her/his desk as a way to remember.
- Hold or participate in a fund-raiser for a special cause or for the family of the deceased.
- Create a book of memories to give to the family. Many people are not aware of the work life of people they love.
- Conduct a workplace-only event. A luncheon or office-only memorial is a chance for co-workers to acknowledge their unique relationships with the deceased.
Lenore E. Johnson, Kaiser-Permanente
