In “Dealing with Death and Grief in the Workplace,” Kirsti A. Dyer discusses how to handle the feelings associated with loss—not only a loss of your own, but one of someone that you work with.
If you are the coworker of someone working through grief after the loss of a loved one, remember that any support that you can offer will help your colleague heal. If you feel comfortable listening to your grieving coworker vent the feelings of loss, make yourself available for those discussions. If you are not quite as touchy-feely, however, you can still express your condolences in writing if that makes you feel more comfortable. In addition, another thing that you can do to help a grieving coworker is to provide needed assistance—such as pet sitting, cooking, or helping with errands.
If you are the boss of someone who has lost a loved one, remember that your support is also valued by your employee. One way that you can give this support is to let your employee know about all of the resources that are available to assist with these situations—such as grief counselors and other support. It is also helpful, if your employee gives you permission, to tell coworkers about the circumstances surrounding the death. This will save your staff member the trouble of explaining the situation over and over again, as well as prevent any rumors from spreading around the water cooler—especially if the death was the result of an accident or a crime.
Part One: Celebrity deaths highlight the importance of grief management
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