Grieving is a process that strikes those directly affected the hardest, although it makes everyone feel uncomfortable and clueless as to how to help those going through it. While, in a friendly, homey environment, a hug can often suffice, knowing how to properly behave in a working environment can prove for somewhat of a difficulty. A business owner needs to be aware of how to deal with a loss of an employee, and how to manage the workers afflicted by grieving. In addition to many other problems, productivity might be at stake here and knowing how to act properly, while boosting productivity is a must.
The Bereaved Worker
The most important thing in supporting an employee that has suffered a loss of a loved one is becoming aware that the grieving process is something that will take a while. A business owner should not expect that the grieving worker will simply snap out of it and get back to usual level of productivity for a while. This is where providing flexible work hours plays a vital role – chances are that, in addition to making funeral arrangements and such, an employee will need some time to ease through the loss, not having to worry about too many things with regards to their work. Affinity Funerals from Sydney say that you also have the option of sending the flowers to the funeral home, in case you cannot attend the event. This way of giving condolences is widely considered the most acceptable in the modern world.
The Working Environment
Sadly, dealing with a grieving employee isn’t the only thing a business owner should prepare for. If so much as a single worker is going through grieving, the entire office might be in danger of turning unprofessional and unproductive. This is why organizing meetings to address this agenda is greatly advised for any business. The employer should make their workers aware of the arisen situation and prepare them for things such as mood swings, crying and a certain degree of temporary unreliability of the grieving employees. Instructing all workers to be extra understanding and sensitive, is advised, although paying too much attention to a single employee is often met with jealousy from others, sometimes even refusal and disobedience from those afflicted by grief.
Naturally, a business owner should always look to avoid being judgemental, which is extremely important, seeing as how everybody deals with grief in a different way – while some may become numb, extremely emotional and in need of support, others tend to suppress their emotions and even find working therapeutic and beneficial for keeping their mind of things. This is why it is crucial to really know each employee and accept them as individuals, rather than regarding them as mere numbers.
Dealing with grief is never an easy thing to do and, even though people go through these unfortunate situations in their own way, we all possess a certain level of empathy and understanding. An employer should always remain mindful of their employees’ feelings, although, the big picture is not something to be easily neglected.
