How to manage the death of an employee
How you respond during an unimaginable situation says a lot about your leadership and the company you work for. During the onboarding process at a new job, not all circumstances can be covered in the training. One of the circumstances often left out of training is how to prepare for the death of an employee or a colleague.
How can you be prepared to have that kind of conversation in the workplace? No one wants to discuss the possibility that they might have to deal with the death of one of their own in the future. Who wants to talk about dying? It would be an awkward conversation about a situation you might not have to face.
Death happens to all ages and all occupations. Death in the workplace is something many people have had to face. How do we professionally handle an employee's death while remaining compassionate and caring to the staff? How do we make sure we address the death of an employee in a respectful way?
Informing Your Staff
When an employee dies, someone in their family will likely contact your company somehow. They may contact the employee's direct supervisor or manager, or they may contact HR directly. When talking with the family member, it is essential to remember to:
Express your condolences
Get their contact information
Ask and take note of any funeral or memorial services
Ask for permission to share the news with others at the company
Ask if there is anything you can do for them during this difficult time
Give them the contact information if they have any questions or concerns
Once you receive the news of an employee's death, notify the staff members who worked the closest with them first, if possible. A meeting should be called, whether it be a virtual or an in-person meeting. They should be told in a personal and authentic way. Be prepared for a variety of different reactions as everyone expresses grief differently. Provide those who need it with the remainder of the day off. Give them the option to work from home if this is a possibility with your company.
Depending on the circumstances surrounding the death, they may be expecting this news, or it may come as a complete shock to them. Let them know what happened and share as much information as you know and can share, including the funeral arrangements. Acknowledge the loss that the family, friends, and colleagues have suffered.
Depending on the size of the company, the rest of the staff may need to be notified through text, email, or separate meetings. An email of this nature is not easy to write, but it should be done respectfully and professionally.
The subject line should be direct and to the point. Here are a few examples:
Mourning the death of John Doe
The passing of John Doe
John Doe – A valued team member passes away
Depending on how much information you have, the email can include a cause of death, how long they had been at the company, the department they worked in, funeral arrangements, and services provided to help those grieving.
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.
Examples
1: It is with our deepest regrets we inform you of the death of our team member, Jane Doe. She lost her battle with breast cancer last Thursday. We will share details of the memorial as we become aware of them. We are all deeply saddened by this significant loss.
2: On January 24th, 2024, John Doe passed away suddenly and unexpectedly in an accident. John Doe has been a warm and welcoming face at this company for the last 15 years. He will be missed by all. Please look for a future email with funeral arrangements and grief counseling details.
3: We regret to inform you of the sudden loss of our media manager, John Doe. He died of natural causes over the weekend. As a valued member of our company for seven years, his absence will weigh heavily on us all. We will have a grief counselor available for the remainder of the week. We will be sending flowers to the funeral service, and we will have a sympathy card for the family available to sign in the break room. Please look out for a future email with details of the funeral.
Workplace Logistics
How do you keep a business running while still being respectful to the deceased and your staff? You want to make sure you are doing what you can to keep on track, but you don't want to push your staff when they are grieving.
Notify Clients
If the deceased staff member worked with clients or anyone outside the company, notify them and let them know who will now be their contact. For this email, not much information needs to be shared upfront.
However, some clients may have known your employee for a long time and may have questions about what happened, especially if the death was sudden and unexpected. Answer any questions they have politely and respectfully.
While your team is processing the death of a colleague, keeping an open line of communication will help them feel supported.
Reassign work
If the deceased employee was in the middle of projects, reassign their projects. Try to spread it out evenly amongst the other staff. Let your staff know what they are now in charge of and tell them to reach out if they encounter any challenges. Keep an open line of communication. Getting extra work while dealing with their grief can be overwhelming. Extend deadlines in any way possible.
Keep other staff informed
Notify any staff member who may have worked with the deceased employee is notified of who is now in charge of which projects. Keep everyone as informed as possible. When people get frustrated with not knowing who to contact, the situation can worsen. Send out as many emails and messages as possible.
Hire a new employee
Depending on your company's workload, you may need to hire a new employee quickly after the death. Keep your staff informed every step of the way. Make sure they are involved in the hiring process, if possible. Keep an open mind if they have people they recommend for the position. Having a friendly face they recognize in the office can make having a new employee easier.
Once you hire a new employee, inform the new staff member about the employee's death. Do not let them walk into a situation they are unaware of. Situations might arise concerning the employee's death that they shouldn't be blind-sighted by.
Keep an eye on productivity
If you notice a team member with a sudden drop in productivity, they could be struggling with losing their coworker. Give them time and grace to get through their grief. Keep tabs on productivity and take extra time to see how those team members are doing.
When your staff is grieving their coworker, deadlines should not be enforced as usual, especially if the team has extra work on their hands. Going about business as usual could decrease the team's morale even further. Do not punish them after they lose their coworker. Ask if there is anything you can do to help them through their work.
How you handle the death of an employee can say a lot about a company. People are looking for companies that care about their employees and their families. Show you care in every way you can.
Giving Your Staff Tools to Grieve
What kind of tools is your company able to offer after the death of a staff member? There are many tools out there to help with grief. It is important to remember everyone handles their grief differently. Just because someone may seem okay and seem to be handling the news well does not mean they do not need help. Check to see what your company may already have in their toolbelt to handle this situation. Some other ways the company can help their staff through this could include:
Bring in a grief counselor to be available for staff and notify staff when the grief counselor will be available.
Find a local hotline or grief counseling services that can help them.
Determine what mental health services the company insurance covers and inform your staff.
Let your staff know the appropriate staff member to notify if they need help processing the death of their colleague.
Give them time to process the news.
Sending Condolences to the Family
Sending a card and flowers to the surviving family is a simple gesture that helps everyone feel included.
When you are dealing with the death of an employee, it is essential to let the family know you care. Having a sympathy card available for other employees to sign would be a great way to include them. Often, funeral homes have an easy way to send a bouquet of flowers to the family through their websites. Staff members may feel they need to do something after the employee's passing. Signing a card and sending flowers is a simple gesture that helps everyone feel included.
Ask the family what they need from your company. They may have questions you can answer or help you can provide. Respect the family's privacy but keep the communication line open. Keeping in contact with the family would be beneficial when handling the final paycheck, life insurance, personal items, and other paperwork that may need to be filled out.
Checking in on Your Staff
Everyone grieves differently and has different timelines. Some staff members may want to discuss their grief openly and work through it with others. However, some staff members may grieve privately and quietly. It can be hard to tell how they are handling the death of a coworker.
How can you check in on your staff? How do you make sure they are coping with their loss? How do you approach your staff to see how they are doing?
Be direct
Especially in the first few weeks following the death, be direct and ask them how they are handling the loss. Talk about the staff member you lost as often as you can. Try to be observant about how each person handles the discussions. Be there for those who need to talk or need extra time to cope with the loss.
Approach the subject in private
A one-on-one meeting is a good time to check in on your staff. Some people might not be able to open up in a group setting. Ask if there is anything you can do to help them. Approaching them in private can also help them release any emotion they may have held back.
Ask about their general well-being
As time passes, keep asking your staff how they are doing. Ask how their day is going and how their projects are going. This is an excellent practice to have even without suffering the death of an employee. Get a feel for their overall emotion. Simply asking someone how they are doing can also open up a conversation about the death of the staff member. It lets them know you are available and willing to discuss it with them.
Checking on Yourself
Be sure to give yourself the same grace you give your employees. Managers and team leaders tend to take on the burden of the extra work themselves. However, you just lost a colleague as well. Give yourself time to grieve the loss. Delegate work when you can and reach out to other teams if you need to. Allow yourself the same grieving tools you have provided to your employees.
Remembering Your Employee
Moving on from the death of an employee is difficult. At some point, you will most likely have to replace this employee. Their desk will have to be cleared off, equipment will be returned, and a new employee will be in their place. How do you make sure the deceased is not forgotten? Find a way for you and your staff to remember the employee you lost.
Host a memorial for your staff. Give your team members time to get together and discuss the employee who passed away. Get everyone together in a way that would honor them. You could include their favorite food, drinks, or something else to help remember them.
Get a plaque to remember your employee.
Donate to a charity in your employee's name. For example, if they loved dogs, donate to an animal shelter. Ask those who knew them best if they had any charities they were passionate about.
If your company has an outdoor space, plant a tree or flowers in their name. You could also place a bench with a plaque to remember them or create a peaceful outdoor space.
It is essential to let your staff know that your employee will not be forgotten. Show them that you are loyal to your employees. How you treat the death of an employee and that employee's family reflects on you and your company. Show your employees that they mean more than the work they can provide.
