MANAGING GRIEF AND LOSS AT WORK
The Irish Hospice Foundation
From time to time in our organisations we experience the personal challenge and impact of serious illness or bereavement, sudden or unexpected. Whether it happens to a colleague, a client or ourselves, these situations are both personally and professionally difficult and upsetting.
We can be good at responding immediately but a little uncertain beyond that, at knowing what we can do as employers, managers, colleagues, or trade union representatives. At work, our communities can play an important role, particularly when the impact of events may be much greater or more long term than we anticipate. Mostly, organisation policies take care of the practical by providing compassionate leave and employee assistance, but there is much more that we can do as colleagues and in our professional roles, balancing compassion and support with respect for privacy.
2020 has brought home this challenge as we have tried to support each other while working from home and with social distancing. Our traditional rituals and opportunities to show we care have been put aside, and Covid 19 have made us rethink how we can provide meaningful support and assistance.
The Irish Hospice Foundation has developed a wealth of knowledge and expertise to support people and organisations responding to these challenging situations in the workplace, and offers three important, easy to access resources.