Managing bereavement at work

The impact of the last few years has highlighted the importance of employers managing bereavement in at work with compassion, sensitivity and flexibility.

According to the UK Commission on Bereavement, an estimated three million people experienced bereavement during 2020-2022, which is around 375,000 additional people compared to the previous five-year average.

“The events of the last two years have acted as a catalyst for opening up various discussions about wellbeing in the workplace, particularly around bereavement,” remarks Lesley Cooper, founder and CEO of employee wellbeing consultancy WorkingWell. “The disruptions to people’s lives, and the resulting impact on mental health, means that leaders have had to recognise that everyone’s circumstances are different and take more of an individualised approach to managing bereavement at work.”

What is the legal stance?

Legally, UK employees may be entitled to time off work if they suffer a bereavement, but there is no legal right for them to receive paid leave, unless they have lost a child under 18 or suffered a stillbirth after 24 weeks. In this case they may be eligible for statutory parental bereavement leave (SPBL).

“If they are taking SPBL, employees can choose to take one week of leave, two weeks together or two separate weeks of leave, which can start on or after the date of the death or stillbirth and must finish within 56 weeks of the date of the death or stillbirth,” explains Jonathan Haines, chartered legal executive at Gullands Solicitors. “Statutory parental bereavement pay is £172.48 a week or 90% of an employees average weekly earnings (whichever is lower).”

Some organisations still choose to offer paid leave to employees who experience bereavement and will set out the amount of time employees can take off work, which is typically around five days. However, as Sophie Bryan, CEO of Ordinarily Different explains, it is not as simple as defining the number of days employees can take, as grief can take an incredibly long time to work through.

“Quantifying bereavement leave into simply a defined time is probably one of the worst things we could do from an HR policy point of view. Losing someone you love may well push people to breaking point and this is why we need to rethink how we handle bereavement at work and ensure that we provide support for employees emotional needs.”

What do employees need?

It is vital that grieving employees are given the support and time they need to work through their grief, and this starts with truly understanding what employees actually need after experiencing loss.

As Bryan explains: “Employees need compassion, space and loyalty from their employer at this devastating time,” comments Bryan. “As well as understanding, they need the resources to support them, perhaps through an employee assistance programme which can provide them with counselling and legal advice. Employees also need a trusted safe space in the organisation, and a colleague, manager or HR member who they can rely on for support.”

Donna Black suffered a bereavement several years ago when her daughter sadly died while waiting for a heart transplant. She explains the support given by her employer at the time, which she was really grateful for: “I’d taken a career break to care for my daughter, but when I started a new job with a regional law firm six months after she died, I was very open with my employer about what had happened. They were hugely supportive, and my manager was particularly fantastic. The managing partner of the firm was very supportive too, and sent me notes to let me know he was thinking of me when it was the anniversary of my daughter’s death. That level of empathy from my employer was hugely important in helping me to regain my confidence in the workplace.”

How can employers help?

There are a number of things employers can do to ensure that they offer the compassion, support and empathy that is so greatly needed at this difficult time; talk to your employee to find out what they need, let them know you are there to support them and put together a personalised plan to help them. Don’t put any pressure on them to make any immediate decisions or assume that you know what support they need. Everyone handles bereavement differently, so it’s vital to have a good understanding of your team, and what they want and need from you as an employer.

David Plotkin, founder of employment law and HR consultancy Plotkin & Chandler, adds: “Ensure that your bereavement policy is easily accessible by everyone, all staff are aware of it and can see that they are being treated consistently and fairly. “Provide training so that managers are equipped to provide effective support to their colleagues and strive to adopt a holistic approach.”

Some bereaved employees may benefit from being able to work from home, to give them the time and space needed to grieve. After a loss, people can struggle to do basic everyday activities and coming into the workplace and interacting with colleagues may feel overwhelming. Hybrid working arrangements  may prevent them feeling overwhelmed and gives employees the opportunity to assimilate back into the workplace at their own pace. Grief is a journey and for people struggling with bereavement and loss knowing that hybrid working is an option can be a huge relief.

Cooper agrees: “The flexibility of hybrid working allows workers time alone to work through their grief or spend valuable time with loved ones, whilst maintaining important relationships with colleagues and remaining involved in office life. People need time to establish their own coping mechanisms and flexibility and understanding remains key whilst they find their own work-life balance to suit their needs.”

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