Managers are often the first point of contact when an employee or customer discloses a terminal illness or experiences bereavement. Dr Lucy Hone is soon to publish a Coping With Loss @ Work Guide with helpful advice for managers to lead with sensitivity. Here is a previews of some of Dr Lucy's wise advice. Find out more at Dr Lucy Hone.com
- Lean into your empathy: Support, time, and self-care are important factors in treating and processing the impact of this kind of loss.
- Remain flexible: Time is key in the process of grieving. And grief doesn't conform to the timelines of benefits, policies, and deadlines. Understanding the need for team flexibility and additional collaboration will help your grieving team member feel supported during an already challenging time.
- Keep the lines of communication open: Even though bereavement leave is specifically used after the death of a loved one, remember that grieving often precedes an event. Anticipatory grief, for example, is common when someone is given a terminal diagnosis. You may not realize an employee is dealing with grief, so keeping a culture of open communication is helpful.
- Ensure employees know their options: It’s hard enough to manage emotions when your feelings are part of your job. Having to also suppress major life events and personal struggles negatively impacts well-being in both the short and long term. Ensuring employees have access to the resources they need will help them manage their grief and return to the office in a better place than they would without the added support.
- Create a safe space: Is there somewhere they can go to catch their breath? Tell them it’s fine to go to a local coffee shop if they need to.
- Be transparent: There’s no magical script that anyone’s going to say that’s going to make it all fine (people will be much more receptive in sharing if both parties get that it’s clunky and awkward but you’re doing your best)
- Understand the more you share, and try: It role models that support to others in the team, encouraging them to do so in the future.
“Don’t make it all urgent. Think through who your responsibilities are to, and what they are. Think first, then consult the wider team about how they want to help, be transparent, and come to a decision when you have the information you need to feel confident in your decision. Those coping with loss are going to need your help over the long-haul, what they don’t need is a knee jerk reaction that hasn’t been well thought through.” Dr Lucy Hone
Grief and Bereavement in the Workplace – Support for Managers (GriefLine Australia )