To recognise International Grief Day on 30th of August, our blog this month focuses on what organisations can do to better support their employees following bereavement. Grief is one of the most painful, yet universal parts of the human experience.

It may therefore not come as a surprise that a This Can Happen (TCH, 2024) research report focused on grief at work showed that 87% of employees surveyed felt grief had impacted their mental wellbeing and ability to concentrate. The paper also highlighted the impact grief might have on performance, as 46% of respondents reported a reduction in productivity following a loss.

Organisations play a key role in supporting employees through grief and bereavement. In some cases, adequate support can even be seen as a driver of retention, with 32% of employees (TCH, 2024) saying they would leave if they did not feel properly supported. Many organisations run the risk of losing valuable talent if they don't get bereavement support right, with 51% of employees also reporting that they did not feel supported by their organisation following bereavement.

Everyone's journey through grief is highly individual. Different individuals will need different types of support at different points in their process. Best practice is to partner with employees, giving them choice in the approach they wish to take and tailoring support accordingly. This also includes demonstrating sensitivity to any religious or cultural contexts which might shape how grief is experienced or expressed.

Grief is also not linear but comes in ebbs and flows, often lasting much longer than many employers anticipate. The largest proportion of respondents in the TCH report shared that the impact typically extended beyond 12 months. It is, therefore, important to consider how work, including workload and expectations, can be adjusted to reflect where employees are in their grief and what support they need to do their job effectively. This is particularly salient during the early stages, as 76% of employees surveyed said their performance was impacted upon their immediate return.

At Affinity, we propose a multi-faceted approach to supporting employees' return-to-work following bereavement, using the IGLOO framework (Individual, Group, Leader, Organisation, co-developed by Affinity). The idea is to adopt a systemic, flexible approach, ensuring that resources and support mechanisms are considered at all levels.

Individual

Going through grief typically affects all aspects of our health. Resources at the individual level could therefore be aimed at encouraging self-care. At Affinity, we regularly facilitate wellbeing workshops aimed at equipping employees with the skills to look after their mental health. For instance,

Physical self-care:

• Prioritise sleep: Grief can disrupt sleep patterns, however ensuring adequate rest is crucial for managing emotions and physical well-being
• Engage in gentle movement: Physical activity, like walking or yoga, can help release tension and lift mood.

Emotional and mental self-care:

• Acknowledge and accept emotions: Allowing oneself to feel the full range of emotions associated with grief, without judgment.
• Be patient and compassionate to oneself: Grief is a process, and it takes time to heal. Individuals shouldn't expect themselves to function at the same level as before their loss.

Group

Colleagues are typically viewed most positively in terms of grief support (TCH, 2024) and therefore can have significant influence and play a vital role in supporting a grieving employee's return to work. We recommend that team members;

• Foster a culture of empathy: Show active support for one another. This could be as simple as signing a card, sending a message of empathy, or offering to help with a colleague's workload. Be mindful that support needs to be continued in the long-term, not solely upon immediate return to work.
• Provide team training on what grief is and give advice on how to show support — what to say, what to avoid, how to show up etc. This will address the barrier of concern about saying the wrong thing.

Leader

Leaders play a pivotal role in how supported grieving employees feel, particularly in the earliest stages. Despite this, a taboo often surrounds the topic of grief and bereavement, with managers fearing they might not know how to provide support or might say the "wrong thing." Indeed, 23% of managers admitted they were worried about talking to a bereaved employee, though 92% said they would still have the conversation (TCH, 2024).

• Provide manager training in how to have compassionate and empathetic conversations with grieving employees. This includes knowing what to say, what to avoid, and how to actively listen.
• Put in place regular, non-judgmental check-ins with the employee: before their leave, during their absence, and after their return – bearing in mind that the grief process typically is long-term and can ebb and flow. These touchpoints provide opportunities for the employee to share how they are coping and what they might need.
• Co-create a return-to-work plan. Work with the employee to create a flexible and realistic plan, for instance a phased return with reduced hours or temporary adjustments to duties and deadlines. At Affinity, we have many tools to support this such as our evidence based return-to-work tool kit and our management competencies for mental health and wellbeing.

Organisation

At the organisational level, systemic support structures and clear policies can make a profound difference.

• Ensure that there are fit-for-purpose policies in place:
  • Compassionate leave policy, outlining what constitutes loss (e.g., death, divorce, separation, baby loss), the number of allowable days away, and flexibility around workload upon return. Interestingly, 46% of employees felt they did not have enough time off to grieve, and 32% said they felt pressured to return too soon (TCH, 2024).
  • Return to work policies and practices that offer opportunities for employees to exercise discretionary effort. For grieving employees, these may influence flexible working practices, flexi-time practices, part-time working and the opportunity to work from home. Affinity's Managing Partner, Jo Yarker, is an leading expert in this field and has conducted extensive work through her evidence-based return-to-work framework.
• Clearly communicate what support resources are available (e.g., Employee Assistance Programmes, grief counselling, peer support). Alarmingly, 37% of employees reported they were unsure what support was available, and 68% felt resources were not clearly signposted at any stage (TCH, 2024).
• Create a compassionate and open culture where people feel comfortable talking about grief. This often starts at the top, with leaders driving a culture of openness by role-modelling vulnerability. The TCH report (2024) noted that this was uncommon however, with 67% reporting that they had never seen senior leaders speak openly about their personal experiences of bereavement.

What next?

At Affinity Health at Work, we are passionate about helping organisations create working environments that promote and protect mental health. If you would like us to help you better support grieving employees in their return-to-work, please get in touch by visiting our website or emailing us at hello@affinityhealthatwork.com. We would love to hear from you!

References

Athanasou, J. (2024). Bereavement and Return to Work. Available at SSRN 4810171.

Nielsen, K., Yarker, J., Munir, F., & Bültmann, U. (2018). IGLOO: An integrated framework for sustainable return to work in workers with common mental disorders. Work & Stress, 32(4), 400-417.

This Can Happen Global. (2024, March). Grief in the workplace from bereavement.. https://www.thiscanhappenglobal.com/images/uploads/docs/Thia_Can_Happen_Report_on_Grief_in_the_workplace.pdf

Author: Christian Ferragamo

Citation: Ferragamo, C. (2025) Creating Workplaces That Care: Supporting Employees Through Loss. Affinity Health at Work.