Hi everyone, it’s Vlady here on the Dóchas blog, and this week we are going to examine grief within a work context. The focus is on how to support a colleague to navigate their grief at the workplace, while keeping in mind your own boundaries. It can be tricky supporting anyone through grief, but when it’s a colleague there is the added layer of the work relationship. You still want to be there for other people, but what’s the best way?

First, let’s talk about grief. Grief is a subjective experience of processing loss. Whether there has been a loss of a close social tie (e.g., death, breakup etc.) or even a pet, it can be a discombobulating experience to adjust to life’s continuous demands such as employment. Here’s one tip that can be helpful to know. In Alberta, workers may access Bereavement Leave which provides the workforce with the right to three days off from work, with no financial compensation, given the passing of a close family member or under circumstances where there has been a termination of pregnancy. While that employment protection exists for workers, the effects of loss can linger for much longer than that short span of time and not all forms of loss are applicable to satisfy the conditions for Bereavement Leave.

With the particularities of Bereavement Leave aside, how does a workplace support an employee in their grief when they return to the workplace? There can be challenges associated with this process, given the nature of organizational relationships. How a person relates to their teammate can look different than the individual’s personal relationships with family and friends, unless the person’s working relationship with their colleague developed into a closer social tie (e.g., friendship, romance etc.). What it boils down to is considering workplace boundaries in how to best support a colleague experiencing grief.

Here are a few tips that may assist you in the process:

1. Cultivating Safe Spaces

• If a colleague chooses to share details of their experience of loss, acknowledge and validate what they are going through.
• While keeping in mind your workload (workplace boundaries), consider if you can offer extra assistance, if needed, to help them transition back into work.
• Adopt a non-judgmental stance if the colleague’s work schedule looks different and/or if they require additional time to break up their day.

2. Consider Workplace Culture

• Integrate how your workplace provides support, in general, through various contexts to employees. For instance, consider assembling a care package to send the colleague experiencing grief if this already aligns in how your organization provides gifts to mark different employee life events.
• Utilize your company’s mission and values, if applicable, or personal values to guide your actions if feeling unsure in how to best support your colleague at work in their grief.
• As grief can feel isolating for an individual, extend invitations to the employee to attend company social activities (e.g., daily walking and/or gym group, holiday planning committees etc.).

3. Ask About Needs

• Ask your colleague directly about what they need from you to support them being back at work. By directly asking your colleague, you avoid making assumptions about what an individual best needs based on your direct and indirect experiences on how to manage grief. Remember, grief is a subjective process and can take on many different forms for a person that may differ from your own experiences.

If you are struggling to manage your own grief at the workplace or are finding it difficult to support someone at your work with their grief, feel free to reach out to the Dóchas team by giving us a call at 780-446-0300.

For additional information on grief, feel free to check out some of the following posts from our Dóchas Team and a recent article:

• Justine’s post on Understanding & Coping with Different Types of Grief 
• Kim’s post on The Stages of Grief and What Defines Complicated Grief
• Someone I know is grieving–how can I help? Helping with Grieving 
• Levesque, Lunardini, Payne, and Callison-Burch’s’ 2023 article titled  Grief in the Workplace: Challenges and Solutions 
• The Government of Alberta’s conditions for Bereavement Leave

About Dóchas Psychological

Dóchas Psychological Services is a well-established and trusted therapy clinic located in Spruce Grove, Alberta. At Dóchas we value the idea that everyone deserves a safe space. Through connection and education, our team works hard to build a trustworthy relationship with each of our clients. It is our goal to create a community for our clients to feel like they belong.

Disclaimer

Information provided through Dóchas Psychological Services blogs or vlogs is meant for educational purposes only. They are NOT medical or mental health advice. You can read more about our disclaimer here.