New Guidance on Managing Bereavement at Work

A new guide on managing bereavement in the workplace has been published by workplace expert Acas.

It is estimated that one in ten people is directly affected by bereavement, and research has found that a third of employees who had suffered bereavement in the past five years felt that they had not been treated with compassion by their employer. Nearly nine out ten people believed all employers should have a compassionate employment policy that included paid bereavement leave.

"Grief from the death of a loved one can be an extremely sad and emotional experience for anyone. It can affect people in different ways in the workplace and managers should have the skills needed to handle it,” explained Acas Chair Sir Brendan Barber.

"Our guide aims to help employers manage this difficult situation with their employee in the immediate aftermath of bereavement as well as longer term,” he added.

The guide includes good practice advice on managing bereaved employees, including:    

• Grief does not have predicted stages and phases. Everyone reacts differently to bereavement and this should be understood and respected by both employers and colleagues.
• Employers can prepare for managing bereavement in the workplace by having a clear policy on it and training managers, HR teams and selected staff to have compassionate and effective conversations with bereaved colleagues.
• A calm empathetic approach in all communications from managers will ensure employees feel supported and minimise their anxiety about returning to work.
• Employers need to be mindful of the family unit of the bereaved and appreciate that in many cases, a flexible approach such as offering part-time hours or flexible working is more likely to support and retain the employee and minimise sick days as they negotiate new or increased caring responsibilities.

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