Supporting a Colleague in the Workplace
When illness, dying or grief occur in the workplace, it is important to understand:
- How this will impact the work place
- How to respond meaningfully and in a supportive way
- The importance of creating a supportive and safe environment
How Illness, Death, and Grief impact the work place
Practical Repercussions
- Work time spent on care giving & practical tasks
- Financial concerns/impacts
- Employee errors
- On-the-job accidents
- Time off needed/absenteeism
- Consequences to management and team
Emotional Repercussions
- Decreased self-esteem
- Inability to focus on work
- Anxiety about performance & job security
- Alienation due to lack of understanding
How to respond meaningfully and supportively
- Understand loss and grief
- Lead and model
- Open the conversation
- Provide appropriate information
- Recognize ALL affected parties
- Identify appropriate resources and provide appropriate supports:
Office of Victim Assistance provides free, confidential advocacy and group/staff debriefs
Issues specific to creating a supportive and safe workplace environment
- There are differences in staff responses
- There are differences in the kinds of support needed
- Confidentiality issues
- Resource management and allocation
- Immediate attention vs. long-term follow-up
Shared grief can strengthen the work environment
- Caregivers/grievers need acceptance
- Caregivers/grievers need job security
- Teamwork productivity can be enhanced
- Organizational management of crisis sends message to entire staff
- Grief is inherently a growth experience, individually and as a group
Build your support and information systems before they are needed.
This information came from HospiceCare of Boulder and Broomfield County.