As depressing as the topic of death is, it is something
that can come quite unexpectedly which is why I wanted to write something about
it. It is especially hard to handle when dealing with losing someone from work.
Death in the workplace is hard to handle for some people and it is something people
don’t usually have a plan for. I think it is important for professionals to be
able to respond to as many situations possible. The loss of a co-worker is one
of those things that can blindside an employee or supervisor.
Help Yourself
The first step when dealing with the loss of a co-worker
is to make sure you yourself are in a good state to help others. The recovery
starts with yourself before you can get back to work and help others recover.
It is important to find an outlet whether that be a friend, family, or mentor
that you can call on. This can be a stressful time so it is important to do
healthy things like reading, exercising, meditating, or whatever best relaxes
you. It is also important to give yourself time to grief but you should try to
keep your routine as normal as possible. The death of an employee can bring on
many emotions but providing yourself with the best self-care is important to
prepare you for the steps ahead.
Help your Staff
Not only as a leader, but as a member of your workplace,
it is important to help others around you deal with this difficult time. If you’re
a leader it is good to gather everyone up and let them know of the passing of
their co-worker. There will be an array of emotions. Allow your workers time to
sit and talk. Your co-workers are going through the same hardship so it is good
to share and reflect. Co-workers can use each other as community support. This
is an important time to come together and help each other.
Pay your Respects
After the passing has processed, there should be an opportunity
for closure. Things like holding a ceremony or planting a remembrance tree as a
group. There should be some sort of event held as a group so that everyone can
say their goodbyes. The key element here is to provide your team with some
peace. Plan with the rest of your co-workers what works best.
Business as Usual
Getting back to work can hard, but it is important to
keep moving on. Motivation and productivity will most likely be low for the
next few weeks, but being patient and understanding will benefit the team.
There are also many technological issues to deal with. Changing voice mails,
forwarding emails, delegating work are all some of the little things that need
to be taken care of as you would for a terminated employee. The former employee’s
office space can be a sensitive issue as well. It would be helpful to
brainstorm as a group ways to change the space. The goal here is to establish a
comforting but appropriate change. The workplace can be a constant reminder to
some people so it would be beneficial to communicate with your staff what
changes would be best.
Conclusion
Overall it is important to stay as sensitive and
sympathetic as you can reasonably be. Whatever you do, keep your staff or
co-workers in mind. Do not leave your employee’s things untouched but also do
not suddenly get a replacement. Eventually the company will get back to normal
or even adopt a new normal. The leader of the organization is crucial in helping
workers get through this ordeal. Although there are your co-workers to worry
about, you should focus on getting yourself recovered as well. Do what is best
for you. Find ways to relax and mourn. Remember that you have a group of
co-workers dealing with the same issue and they can used as a community. Death
is not an easy thing to prepare for but having some sort of plan in mind can
ease the ordeal of death in the workplace.
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