Working Through Grief
“I began asking people how they found the return to work. Everybody had the same answer, which was ‘I never wanted to do it, and I didn’t have any choice. I didn’t have any support, so I just kind of got on with it.’ I thought, that’s so rubbish. Surely, there’s a better way for us to be talking about this.”
Grief costs American companies over $100 billion a year in lost revenue due to decreased productivity, absenteeism and reduced performance. One in four of us is grieving at any given time, and most organizations are ill-equipped to support their employees when a coworker dies or an employee loses a loved one. The best organizations speak openly about grief and loss, whether it comes from external or internal sources (e.g., death, illness, violence, layoffs, downsizing, restructuring, merger and acquisitions, etc.).
An effective response to grief in the workplace requires forethought and planning. Death can happen suddenly and without warning, leaving managers unprepared and unsure of what to do beyond what's in the employee handbook --- a few days of bereavement leave, an Employee Assistance Plan, access to counseling or a support group. A grieving employee who doesn't receive the support he needs will take upwards of 30 days off work, and 20% of those grieving employees will continue missing work for more than a year.
Unaddressed and unacknowledged grief can take a physical, mental and emotional toll on employees, teams and the workplace as a whole.
Bereaved employees struggle with concentration, focus, cognition and depression when they return to the office after the death of a loved one.
They may have trouble showing up for work on time or at all.
They often put on a brave front, not knowing how to ask for the help and support they so desperately need. Meanwhile, their body is at their desk but their mind is elsewhere.
“People are looking to you to lead. To say, ‘We can get through this. We’ve got the systems and processes in place. We’re here to support you in whatever way you need.”
— Mark Ferdig, Program Director, Mercy Corps
At OnTarget Consulting, we have 20+ years of experience coaching, training and advising organizations on how to deal with restructuring, downsizing, layoffs and grief. Loss can happen at any time, and preparation is key. Here's how we can help:
Ready you to act before the news of a death, loss or significant change occurs
Create a plan and policies to support grieving employees, help them transition back to work and insure they have what they need to remain productive
Develop a process for handling the death of an employee that includes defined roles and responsibilities and checklists for a variety of situations and circumstances
Train your executives and senior managers on how to respond to loss and change so that every employee receives consistent treatment and support
Coach your managers and employees on what to say and do to support a grieving colleague (and, more importantly, what not to say or do)
Work one-on-one with a grieving CEO, senior executive or employee who is returning to work
Educate your management team on how to balance an employee's need to grieve with the company's need to maintain productivity
Troubleshoot and repair an unhealthy work environment after a loss, a significant change or return of a grieving employee is mishandled
OnTarget Consulting can provide your organization with the strategies, tools and resources you need to create a compassionate culture, no matter what you and employees are going through.
“As I watched Margo present, I realized how rare it is when a speaker can connect with an audience the way she does. Diving headfirst into the pain and agony of losing her beloved son Jimmy, Margo transforms heartache into guidance and hope. I finally have the tools that will enable me to support those who are navigating the difficult road of grief and loss.”
Contact us about your challenges. Our initial consultation is free. You’ll get value from our time together that you can use immediately, regardless of whether we decide to work together going forward.