Grief at work: takeaways from compassionate comms webinar with Hospice UK

Did you know that while 57% of employees have experienced a bereavement in the last five years, only 17% of line managers would feel very confident supporting a bereaved line report, and only 32% of employees are aware of grief support available at work?

Grief is difficult to navigate even in the most familiar environments. When adding your working environment and colleagues into the equation, it can be difficult find the right balance within professional boundaries, making death and dying a difficult topic to address in the workplace.

Here are some compassionate comms tips we learned from Hospice UK:

• Grief is not linear. Everyone will have a different experience and different needs. Encourage story sharing, and senior vulnerability (which leads to more conversations.)
• Preparation is key.  Having a proactive plan or process in place for deaths in service, external events, or bereaved employees will help you to get communications out quickly and avoid rumours or false information being spread. Gather details and involve next of kin where appropriate.
• Know your audience. Make sure you understand your comms user journey and be sure to write or create content with a bereaved reader in mind. Consider content or trigger warnings if relevant, and consider your method of delivery. Will an email suffice or are there close colleagues who deserve a personal visit or phone call?
• Choose your tone wisely. Communicate with empathy and avoid clichés or platitudes. Avoid terms that allow room for misinterpretation, religious, or cultural misunderstandings. Be sincere and acknowledge mistakes.
• Share resources. Support employees by sharing resources, directing them to EAP, helplines, local groups, or anything else appropriate within your organisation.

For further support on addressing grief in the workplace, please visit https://www.hospiceuk.org/compassionate-employers to learn more about the Hospice UK Compassionate Employers Programme.