Issues @ Work: 6 Steps to Managing Grief in the Work Place by Darren L. Johnson

According to United Behavioral Health, 30 million people grieve every day in the US. How many of those people work for your company?

Here is what you can do to be more caring of these employees, some of whom may be grieving over conditions at work.

1. Seek ways to possibly reduce the work loads of those you know have experienced a family or co-worker death.

2. Be sensitive of those employees directly impacted by downsizing, terminations, and constant change in the workplace.

3. Walk around and genuinely show you care by talking to employees and asking how they are doing and feeling.

4. Make sure all employees know about and understand how to access the employee assistance services offered at the company.

5. If you notice, or hear of anyone ridiculing an employee because he/she is going through a difficult time and is grieving, nip it in the bud by directly addressing that person.

6. Leadership should do that it can to help to create an environment where employees feel safe to express concerns, ideas, and challenges. This open flow of communication will allow for and foster an environment of trust, which can be a supportive environment for someone who is grieving, regardless of the reason.

Darren L. Johnson is author of Letting Go of Stuff. He offers programs for employers and individuals.

Letting Go of Stuff is an inside-out approach to redesigning the internal environment through the continued development of its employees and the system in which they work.

For individuals: Letting Go of Stuff means learning how to change unwanted habits, manage toxic relationships, and accomplish personal goals by applying proven methods & concepts from his book.