A death in a workplace that is not handled well can have a massive impact on staff, an expert said this week.
“If there is a lack of empathy, lack of compassion and lack of recognition of the loss, it can cause stress, sick leave and retention issues,” said Amy Gibney, who leads the Grief in the Workplace programme at the Irish Hospice Foundation. “The grief doesn’t go away if it is not dealt with properly.”
Gibney urged workplaces to plan ahead for all eventualities and to embed grief care into their wellbeing initiatives. “With 75 per cent of people in Ireland at work, and each death impacting 10 people, companies who minimise the distress on teams and better support families will keep their organisations functioning while remaining compassionate,” she said.
She was speaking at a webinar organised by the Irish Hospice Foundation as part of National Grief Awareness Week.
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Finding compassionate ways to remove a deceased person’s system access or taking their photographs off company sites are key issues which need to be handled sensitively.
Planting a tree or putting in a bench in memory of the deceased work colleague are ways of acknowledging the loss. Similarly, hosting a ceremony or coffee morning some months later can help people grieve.
Gibney said grief is unpredictable and can hit us when we least expect it. “Grief is not a linear, stage-by-stage process of denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance as was previously thought,” she said. However, it often comes in waves, and these waves may become less frequent but can still be intense as time goes on.
Speaking about how someone can support a grieving friend or colleague, Gibney said that acknowledging the loss at an appropriate time was the first step. “Don’t avoid the person but follow their lead if they don’t want to talk about their loss,” she said. “Listen actively with your full attention.”
While she said some people might find it overwhelming to take on another person’s grief, saying something positive could be helpful. “Don’t be tempted to turn the story back on yourself and don’t offer any solutions,” she said.
Studies has found that 70 per cent who return to work following the death of loved one can suffer from productivity issues such as tiredness or poor concentration. “Offering grieved people some accommodations and flexibilities and support with tasks are practical ways of helping them,” said Gibney.
Catherine Tierney, manager of the Irish Hospice Foundation’s Bereavement Support Line (open 10am-1pm, Monday to Friday, 1800 807 077) said the line offers a free compassionate listening service. “It’s a space for people to talk about their loved one but also somewhere to turn if they feel they are not doing okay and might need counselling,” she said at the foundation’s webinar Living with Grief, which is held during National Grief Awareness Week.
