Many of us spend more waking hours at work than we do at home, especially in the rapidly evolving business landscape. Spending so much time with our co-workers can mean that we build meaningful relationships with them over time.
Therefore, when a co-worker dies, this can impact the workplace tremendously, in a variety of ways. Lyndy van den Barselaar, Managing Director of human capital solutions provider Manpower South Africa shares some useful tips for businesses on the best ways of dealing with the death of an employee.
"It is important to remember that each person's experience and reaction to loss and grief is unique. However, there are some common feelings or symptoms often experienced by grieving, such as shock, anxiety, sadness, guilt and anger. Dealing with this process can be especially hard in the workplace, as grief can impair concentration and motivation,' explains van den Barselaar.
She notes that it is important for management and/or Human Resources to offer grief counselling to all employees. "While some may not feel they need the counselling, it is important that the offers stand.
Counsellors can assist with processing the grief and finding the best ways to deal with it, which is important for the process of healing.' Sharing what facts are known about the death with employees can also assist in their healing process. "Allow employees time off to attend the funeral or memorial service for their co-worker, as this can often provide some closure,' explains van den Barselaar.
If the death occurred within the workplace, she states that special precautions should be taken. "A death occurring in the workplace can quickly turn the normally orderly environment into chaos. If the death has occurred as a result of an industrial or any other sort of tragic accident, co-workers will more than likely experience additional shock and quickly become concerned about the working environment,' she says.
Workers who may have witnessed the tragedy will more than likely need immediate counselling, and employers should look into conducting an immediate critical incident debriefing and safety check. "This will assist in making sure everybody understands exactly how the incident took place, which can be important for legal processes after the incident, as well as for answering any questions that co-workers may have.
This also assists in making sure that any rumours or misinformation around the death are immediately dismissed,' explains van den Barselaar. "The family of the deceased will more than likely also have questions they would like answered, and making sure that the situation was assessed fully ensures that they are given true, correct information.' Van den Barselaar suggests that management encourages employees to share their grief. "Perhaps plan a meeting or a lunch, where feelings about, and memories of, the deceased can be shared and discussed.
This can help the team to come together during a difficult time and to be there for one another,' she says. Memorialising the employee is something that businesses can look into. "There are many ways of doing this,' says van den Barselaar. "Whether it is naming a room in the building after the person, dedicating an event to them or naming the annual company gathering after the deceased.
Management might want to meet with employees and consider their ideas, to find one that is best for their particular workplace.' Another way to honour the person's life is to establish some sort of fund in that person's name. Perhaps a scholarship fund can be set up for his or her children, or money can be donated to their favourite charity. "If the person died of a particular illness, money can be donated to that cause,' she suggests.
In conclusion, van den Barselaar highlights that management and HR should work together on creating structures that can quickly be put into place when a tragedy of this sort occurs. "While it may be difficult to think about, it is important that there is a degree of planning in place for the death of an employee, whether on- or off-site,' says van den Barselaar. "This will ensure that the correct procedures are followed, as the death will come as a shock to all and trying to figure out a plan at the time of the incident will prove difficult.'
Businesses should have protocols in place for integrating replacements into the workplace, as well. "While the severity of the grief may subside over time, it may still be difficult for employees to accept the person replacing the deceased co-worker.
Having protocols in place for reassigning workspace, the changing of voicemail, the retrieval of messages and emails, and the allocation of unfinished work after the death of an employee is a worthwhile activity,' she concludes.
