Every year, someone on the staff may be grieving because of the death of a loved one, friend or even a beloved pet. It can be hard to process what happened and do anything at all, especially at work.
As a company, you need to have a system in place to help your employees during this time. Fortunately, there are a lot of ways you can provide support to your employees during this time.
Here are 5 ways your company can provide support to a grieving employee to get you started:
Understand The Stages Of Grief
Before you can support your grieving employee, you need to become familiar with the stages of grief and know which stage your employee is currently in. This will then allow you to take note of what your employee is feeling and what you can offer to correspond to it.
Allow Them Paid Bereavement Leave If Possible
Every employer should offer a form of paid bereavement leave to allow employees to take time off from work to grieve, be with their loved ones and make arrangements without having to worry about their pay. If they will need more time away from work, offer them a Family Medical Leave or something similar and tell them to take the time they need.
Remember, don’t add to their concerns during this time and wait for them to go back when they are ready.
Check In With Them Regularly
If a person experiences death in the family, they often find themselves isolated from others and find it challenging to deal with the loss. Because of this, they cannot speak out about their situation and get help if needed.
You can help by checking in on them, letting them know that you are there for them whenever they need someone to talk to and they matter to you even if everything is difficult. You can contact them through phone, video call or even see them in person.
Be Patient And Offer Assistance
As their boss or team leader, it is best to be patient during this time and be understanding about their situation. It would be best if you didn’t also force the employee to accept the support you are ready to offer when they are not prepared.
Don’t immediately say you are ready to provide support when you speak to them. Ask them about what they are feeling and if they don’t talk to you, let them know where they can get support and don’t force them to seek it out. They will come to you when they are ready to get your help.
Don’t Act As A Counsellor
While it is ok to try to help someone through this tough time, please don’t overdo it and try to act as their counsellor. Taking in too much of the emotional toll from your employee may only cause them to feel worse.
It is also difficult to fix something when every person has their own way of coping. Simply listen to them when they want to speak to you and let them know you are here to lend a helping hand when they need it.
The death of a loved one is never easy for anyone, and it will be an ordeal for anyone experiencing it to return to normal immediately. As their boss, you can show your support and concern by offering one of these five ways we listed above if they apply to your situation. We hope that these tips can help during this challenging time.
Want to be the employer who cares for your staff? Here are some things you can do: Totally Awesome Employee Engagement Ideas for 2019 How to Deal With a Lack of Appreciation in the Workplace The Importance of Getting Your Staff to Speak Up
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