The death of a colleague can have a profound impact on others in the workplace, with the outpouring of grief often surprising family members of the deceased. However, the truth is that even in a regular 40 hour work week, we are likely spending more waking hours with our co-workers than we are with family. So it is not surprising that we develop these strong emotional bonds.
In the wake of the death of a colleague, managers and supervisors who typically have no training in bereavement support suddenly find themselves in the position of having to balance the needs of grieving team members against the need to meet production targets and deadlines.
However, there a number of reasons why it is important for managers to show leadership and proactively support grieving team members. Besides the fact that research points to greater employee loyalty to a supervisor or employer who displayed empathy after the death of one of their colleagues, the reality is that the death of an employee could also have implications for workplace productivity and safety in the short term.
The strong emotional response to the death of a colleague may cause distractions that could lead to accidents in the workplace. Persons who were especially close to the deceased staff member could also experience difficulty concentrating and memory lapses resulting in a temporary decline in performance. It is wise to plan ahead for such an eventuality by working with your human resources department to establish protocols for responding to a worker’s death. Beyond the logistical issues of handling personal effects, allowing time off for funerals, and reassigning space or equipment, ensure that, at the very least, your HR specialists have some training in bereavement support.
The following are tips for managers to help staff cope following the death of a colleague:
Stay in charge. Let employees know that you are concerned and doing all you can to help. If you were close to the employee who died, it is okay to show your emotions and to share how this loss has affected you. You represent the organization to your staff, so it is important to demonstrate that you are attempting to function professionally in spite of the circumstances.
Plan for possible productivity impacts: Getting back to the daily routine can be a therapeutic experience, and most people can work productively while still dealing with grief and trauma. However, managers will need to monitor the situation and display flexibility in the short term. For example, If the funeral is scheduled for a work day, consider bringing in relief workers to allow regular staff to attend. Also, it might be necessary to review deadlines, especially if the deceased staff member was an integral part of a project team. Grief can result in memory lapses and distractibility so encourage employees to backstop each other and ensure that safety rules are being strictly adhered to.
Encourage employees to talk about their grief and to seek help. In the case where a death was sudden and violent, or if the incident happened at the workplace, it may be helpful to bring in professional counsellors to conduct group sessions, and also to be available for severely traumatized employees. The management team should be equal participants in these sessions and set a positive example by discussing their own feelings openly.
Be aware that the death may act as an emotional trigger for some employees. While we naturally expect close colleagues of the deceased to be emotionally affected, we need to be aware that the circumstance of the death may trigger flashbacks for others in the workplace who lost a loved one in similar circumstances. A group debriefing session is helpful in having persons share if they have been so affected, and team leaders should also be sensitized to paying greater attention to the moods of their teams in the weeks immediately following the death.
Pay attention to co-workers’ reactions to the person’s replacement. A new employee stepping into a beloved colleague’s role may engender resentment, anger and a lack of cooperation from co-workers. This is because it represents the final acknowledgement that their loved one is really not coming back. Helping co-workers acknowledge that this is the case can help relieve tensions.
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