One in 10 employees are directly affected by bereavement every year, yet few companies have adequate procedures in place to help their staff. Áine Kerr reports
The death of an employee can have a significant impact on the workplace but employers remain slow to provide supports and coping mechanisms to grieving staff, according to the Irish Hospice Foundation.
More than 300,000 people or almost one in 10 employees are directly affected by bereavement every year. Workers' concentration, energy levels, productivity and relationships with colleagues can be affected in the absence of a proactive approach by an employer.
According to Breffni Mc Guinness, training officer with the Irish Hospice Foundation, while the civil service, local Government and financial institutions are to the fore of offering adequate supports to grieving employees, most companies, however, have no procedures in place.
This is despite research from the American Hospice Foundation which shows that directly addressing bereavement issues can lead to higher levels of commitment, lower staff turnover and better morale in workplaces.
Providing concise and accurate information to employees on the death of a colleague and making every effort to contact employees who are holidays with news of a colleague's death is the first part of good company practice, according to Mc Guinness.
In the instance of an employee dying in the workplace, an employer should put in place a critical stress debriefing before the grieving process begins. In general, Mc Guinness believes it is imperative that employers provide a "safe space to process the impact of a colleague's death".
"Grief is a hidden reality at work, and one that causes more stress, pain and lost productivity than it needs to. Simply understanding how grief affects people can give managers and colleagues tremendous help and confidence in supporting employees who are grieving," says Mc Guinness.
Organising a memorial in the workplace six months after the death of a colleague is one of the best established practices for acknowledging and dealing with a bereavement.
"It's important that workers are given time to attend the removal and the funeral so that they actualise what has happened. But, it is in the months afterwards that grief can really kick in. Employers have to realise that it is a marathon rather than a sprint," he says.
Andrew Blair, head of human resources with Bank of Ireland Securities Services, recently attended a series of seminars organised by the Irish Hospice Foundation, one of which was entitled What to Do When a Colleague Dies.
"It [ berevement] is a unique experience for everyone, and when someone is bereaved, you try to respect their wishes in whatever way possible. There are no set rules. It just depends on the individual," says Blair.
He says that in the case of a young work colleague who died from cancer, a day out playing golf was organised to mark his anniversary as it was appropriate to the particular family.
During the series of seminars, the Irish Hospice Foundation learnt of one workplace where nine of its employees passed away over the course of 18 months. The company subsequently offered talks on grieving in addition to group meetings, while employees seeking additional help were able to contact the employee assistance programme.
In other instances, companies have arranged collections for their deceased colleague's family and tree-planting ceremonies in memory of their colleague on a particular anniversary.
However, examples of insensitive practices are equally commonplace, according to Mc Guinness.
"One lady whose mother died down the country and took two weeks off for the funeral, returned to work to find that she had been docked two weeks' wages," he says.
"On her exit interview, she told them that she did the exact minimum over the years and only then told the manager in charge why she had taken the two weeks off all those years ago.
"She said she wouldn't complain because it would dishonour her mother's memory, and so she never worked any over time or put in any extra work with the company, beyond what was required of her."
This, he claims, highlights the need for more communication on both the employee and employer's part and for more training to be provided to management so that appropriate intervention techniques might be implemented.
IBEC's director of industrial relation and human resources, Brendan Mc Ginty, contends, however, that Irish employers have an exemplary record in responding sympathetically when employees are faced with bereavement.
"It is regular practice for employers to give employees time off in recognition of the trauma and sense of loss being experienced," he says.
"The form and duration of compassionate leave will usually be tailored to the particular circumstances, and would depend on the closeness of the relationship with the deceased," says Mc Ginty.