After Judith, a social worker, experienced a difficult pregnancy and the stillbirth of her daughter, she returned to work at a counseling agency. She said, “I worked in a community of such great people who were so generous with listening to me. I think that was the biggest thing – the support I got from my co-workers…. I felt more accepted in the place where I work.” Judith was open about expressing her grief, and her coworkers noticed and responded appropriately to her – two important elements in understanding how to cope with grief in the workplace.
Many individual examples are from research about how women healed from grief when their babies died near birth and how workplace responses helped or hindered their recovery. As you read about the theories that these narratives exemplify, you should think of instances that are examples of the same ideas from your own life and workplace.
The purpose of this article is to show why it is important for managers to learn about grief in the workplace, how they can recognize symptoms of grief, and how they can respond to grieving employees appropriately and with compassion. Also explored will be how organizations, by their policies, procedures, and cultures, can support grieving employees. At times, work itself is a source of healing from grief.
Conclusion
People bring their grief to work with them. When grief is hidden, suppressed, discounted, or disenfranchised, it takes a heavy toll in missed opportunities, bad decisions, and accidents. Such hidden grief has a financial impact. When grief is recognized and acknowledged at work, the process of healing is enhanced, leading to improved relationships and loyalty as well as greater productivity.
While each person's grief is unique, there are patterns in the course of grief. Managers can learn to recognize the symptoms and stages of grief and apply their knowledge to care for grieving employees. They can also teach all employees what they know and model appropriate behavior.
Grief has real physical, emotional, and social consequences, including fatigue, exhaustion, and difficulty concentrating; feelings of anger and guilt; and withdrawal from relationships. Traditionally, grief work is the process through which the griever withdraws energy from the person who has died and invests it in the present. Most people resolve their grief in from two to six months, although in some cases, such as the loss of a spouse or child, it takes longer. Grief can be prolonged and complicated, and it is made more difficult by trauma.
Researchers have identified overlapping stages of grief. Although stage models differ slightly from one another, they are essentially similar. The most familiar stages are denial and isolation, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Other theories about grief emphasize the interpersonal and social aspects of recovery.
It is in these areas that work and the workplace are important. Managers and coworkers are an important part of many people's social network. They are a major source of support. Work itself can be healing, as well, providing an anchor in the present and hope for the future. Work can be a way to find meaning in a loss and maintain a connection with the person who has died.
While person-to-person caring is essential, organizations support managers and employees to act in a considerate manner through their policies, procedures, and culture. At times, entire organizations grieve, as when a leader dies, a plant is closed, or there is a major loss due to a natural or human-created disaster. In cases of disaster, work itself can be healing, done to recover and restore the organization and honor colleagues who have not survived.
There is always grief in the workplace. When managers notice pain, reflect on what is needed, think about how to respond, and act with caring, they build healthy relationships and responsive, productive companies.
