How to handle bereavement in the workplace

by John Kariuki

Juma had been battling with disease at his workplace. He took long sick leaves and only made technical appearances when he felt better.

For two years he was on and off but he continued drawing a full salary and other benefits with his boss’s tacit involvement.

When he died, the boss quickly facilitated the payment of his terminal dues to his family.

However, a row erupted with the senior management restricting the number of employees who could attend his burial! The employees felt the company did little to help foot the cost of Juma’s funeral, with the workers raising most of the funds through their welfare association.

But unbeknown to them, the boss had a difficult time defending his decision to keep Juma on the payroll. The top management felt the decision undermined the "workplace efficiency culture".

Healing process

Welcome to bereavement in the workplace, which can be a contentious issue in Kenya.

In many companies, employees can get paid leave upon the death of a member of their immediate family, to enable them organise and attend the funeral.

Often, bosses use their personal discretion when deciding how long this leave period should be. Unpaid leave may also be available for as many days as the employee deems fit.

But even then, the time given may not accommodate the lengthy process of adjusting to life after the death of a loved one or close colleague. The most that many employers, including the Government can do, is grant compassionate leave.

But getting directly involved in the healing process of employees often boosts productivity.

According to Joseph Maingi, a HR manager in a firm based in Nakuru, employers fail to handle grief in the workplace adequately, because of costs considerations, such as extending paid leave and hiring counselors.

"Mostly they see bereavement as a private matter, and irrelevant to the workplace...But this cavalier attitude negates the major role that the workplace plays in most people’s lives as a place where many relationships form! A workplace has a big influence on people’s life satisfaction or dissatisfaction, and the way an employee’s grief is handled can be a turning point not only to his or her life but to society in general!" says Maingi.

Francis David Njagi, a psychological counselor, however reckons that extending compassion in the workplace need not be costly or disruptive.

Show concern

"The simplest thing for colleagues to do is to acknowledge their team member’s loss. This is a simple human gesture," he says.

He suggests that a manager or supervisor should have a private conversation with the bereaved and help them in coping with the loss.

"Of particular therapeutic help would be the boss’s genuine concern of how the loss is going to affect the work of the bereaved and what support they may need". And often a simple and temporary re-assigning of roles may be all that would do the trick, Njagi adds.

But Njagi warns that people are different and it would be a mistake to assume that the "official approach" to all bereavement can work with everybody.

"What matters most at such times is to keep the lines of communication open and learn how you can help", he says.

How bosses and employees respond to those grieving amongst them, demonstrates a subtle workplace’s values and culture.

A failure to act sensibly and compassionately and more importantly, visibly, at such times will be remembered by all for a long time and will manifest itself in employees’ attitude towards the management, and their work in general.