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#WorkplaceGrief

His & Hearse PressHisAndHearsePress@c.im
2023-04-18

#MondayMourning: Workplace Grief

Do you spend more time with your coworkers than your own family? Sometimes we establish close bonds with our colleagues. At the very least, their mood and performance have a direct impact on our own. What happens when a coworker experiences a loss and throws the workplace into upheaval?

Here are a few things to consider.

- Don't judge the severity of a loss based on degree of kinship. As in, don't expect them to bounce back quickly because it was "just" a cousin or "just" a former spouse. You don't know how close they may have been or what responsibilities are now theirs.

- Family Leave and PTO are woefully insufficient for someone to handle the affairs AND recover from grief. Really, four days off is supposed to cut it? Grief experts recommend a MINIMUM of 20 days. Unfortunately some people are forced back to work way before they're ready, either because their time off is gone or their bills are piling up. They may have to pay out of pocket for funeral expenses or suddenly have their household income reduced by half.

- Adjust your expectations. Just because someone is physically present at work doesn't mean they're mentally present. Exhaustion, stress, the inability to focus, and a wide range of emotions will interfere with their performance. Obviously! They might hyper focus for a while to keep busy, only to break under the workload as their brain fog renders them useless. Coworkers should strive to understand that it isn't a personal failing, and that picking up the slack without resentment is the greatest kindness they can offer.

- Offer support while respecting privacy. Avoid empty offers ("if there's anything I can do, let me know") and empty platitudes ("I know how you feel... he's in a better place.") Instead of asking, "how are you doing?" ask "how is today?" Give them an opportunity to talk and just listen. Find out what they want you to say to others ("she had a loss in the family and will return calls next week.")

#HisAndHearsePress #Grief #Coworkers #Workplace #WorkplaceCulture #WorkFriends #WorkSpouse #FamilyLeave #WorkplaceGrief

A purple damask frame around a black background. A blue and white placard says “will return” above an image of a clock with moveable hands. Text reads, “Monday Mourning: Workplace Grief. If you or a coworker experience a loss, the workplace will be impacted. Here are some things to consider. -Don't judge the severity of a loss based on degree of kinship. - Leave and PTO is often woefully insufficient for someone to handle the affairs AND recover from grief. They may be forced back to work sooner than they should, especially if bills pile up. - Adjust expectations. Exhaustion, stress, inability to focus, and other emotions will interfere with performance. Show empathy by picking up their slack without resentment. - Offer support while respecting their privacy.”

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