It’s a fact of live that all workplaces at various times will have people returning to work after a bereavement. It’s time to get better at supporting them.
Creating grief-informed workplaces can help bereaved people navigate loss and be supported by their colleagues, according to one of Ireland’s leading hospices.
With 100 deaths nationwide every day, many of us will find ourselves returning to work after bereavement or supporting other colleagues dealing with one.
“When people are grieving, they are not functioning as well as usual; their memory or concentration can be impacted – they may make mistakes. What each person needs is very different”
Niamh Finucane, co-ordinator of social work and bereavement services at St Francis Hospice in Dublin’s Raheny and Blanchardstown, says there is a major role for employers in Ireland to examine their response to a colleague’s loss.
She was speaking as employers across the country are encouraged to back a national fundraising drive for hospices.
The Your Finest Hour for Hospice drive, organised by Together for Hospice, asks firms in every sector to give workers an hour of downtime in April – and in return, staff are asked to donate an hour of their salary.
Understanding grief
Niamh Finucane, co-ordinator of social work and bereavement services at St Francis Hospice in Dublin’s Raheny and Blanchardstown, says there is a major role for employers in Ireland to examine their response to a colleague’s loss.
“The first few days back at work and meeting people again can be very activating of grief,” said Finucane.
“Things such as songs coming on the radio or events like Mother’s Day can cause this, and when it happens, something touches on their grief and shakes it up.
“You may see a colleague being more emotional or finding it difficult to concentrate and even finding it difficult to have conversations.
“In some cases, those who are bereaved prefer to keep things as normal as possible but it is always important to acknowledge the loss.
“It’s also important to remember that when people are grieving, they are not functioning as well as usual; their memory or concentration can be impacted – they may make mistakes.
“What each person needs is very different. Sometimes a person may not even know themselves what they need. Employers can look at how they can do things in terms of managing the person’s workload.”
Last year, researchers from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) found that focusing on work following a bereavement or divorce can be a healthy coping mechanism.
Based on 68 in-depth interviews, it found that employees were able to transform the workplace into a refuge and a place for healing.
Finucane says that being there for a colleague and letting them know you’re there is invaluable.
“It’s the simple things; let them know you are thinking of them, even if you don’t know what to say. That can mean the world.”
She recommends that employers can help if a line manager or HR manager reaches out to them in advance of their return to work asking them how best to support them.
Main image at top: Photo by Emiliano Vittoriosi on Unsplash
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