Dealing with grief in the workplace

Priority one in a business is always to meet and exceed the needs of all customers. Sometimes it is not possible, due to unfortunate incidents that may directly or indirectly affect the business as a whole or individual employees.

Whether it’s the death of an employee’s family member, the death of a co-worker or something catastrophic that has ripple effects across the country, a sound plan of action is needed to deal with the grieving parties. Delicate steps are essential to ensure that the needs of all customers and employees are met.

Here are a few suggestions:

Assess the situation. Is it affecting one person, or the entire business? Look carefully at the severity of the issues at hand before making decisions.

Talk about it. During times of sadness, it’s important to be able to express feelings to others. Depending on the cause of the grief, some employers may even consider holding a meeting to address the concerns openly.

Regroup and move on. Return to normal activities whenever possible. It is quite common for people who are grieving to be a bit reluctant to return to daily responsibilities. This only prolongs the grieving process. 

The grieving and healing process always take time and it also requires patience and understanding from everyone involved.

Karen Hinds is “The Workplace Success Expert.” For a FREE SPECIAL REPORT on Avoiding Career Killers in the Workplace, send an email to info@workplacesuccess.com

Visit online at www.workplacesuccess.com