Supporting bereaved employees and customers
Why creating a culture of compassion and empathy around grief is not only the right thing to do, but good for business too
STRATEGY
Image: Istock
Issue 65 | April 2023
Grief is a universal experience that affects millions of people in the UK every year. The COVID-19 pandemic, an ageing population, and the cost-of-living crisis have all contributed to an unprecedented loss of life, increased social isolation and loneliness among those who are bereaved. Grief can have a significant impact on people’s mental and physical health, as well as their productivity and performance at work.
In fact, grief is estimated to cost UK businesses £23 billion per year due to reduced productivity, increased absenteeism and higher staff turnover. Therefore, it is vital that organisations recognise and respond to the needs of their grieving employees and customers.
In this article, we will explore how Cruse Bereavement Support, the leading national charity for bereaved people, is helping businesses to create a culture of compassion and empathy that benefits both their staff and their clients.
“Grief is estimated to cost UK businesses £23 billion per year due to reduced productivity, increased absenteeism and higher staff turnover.”
Support at work
Losing a loved one is one of the most painful and challenging experiences that anyone can go through. Grief can affect every aspect of a person’s life, including their work. Grief can make it hard for employees to concentrate, communicate, make decisions and cope with stress. It can also affect their physical and mental health for a long time after the loss. This can lead to increased absenteeism, turnover, errors, and conflicts that can harm the workplace culture and performance. That’s why supporting grieving people at work is not only a moral duty, but also a smart business decision.
When employers and colleagues show support and understanding to grieving employees, they help them feel valued and cared for. They also help them manage their grief and their work responsibilities in a healthy way. This can reduce their stress and anxiety levels, avoid or reduce sick leave requests, maintain good working relationships with their team and managers, and sustain workplace productivity. Supporting grieving employees can also boost their morale and loyalty to the organisation.
Supporting grieving customers is also important for businesses that want to create a positive image and reputation in the market. Customers who are grieving may be going through a range of emotions such as shock, anger, sadness or numbness. They may need extra care and attention from businesses that they interact with during these difficult times. By showing empathy and compassion to them, businesses can make them feel respected and appreciated.
How Cruse Bereavement Support can help your organisation
Cruse Bereavement Support is the leading UK provider of expert training, consultancy and support to the private and public sector, with over 60 years’ experience working with organisations and bereaved people.
Cruse can help you create a culture of compassion and empathy in your workplace by providing loss and bereavement awareness training to give your staff and colleagues an understanding of ways to support bereaved people, be they colleagues or customers.
Cruse can also offer bespoke consultancy services that are co-designed with your organisation, to reflect your unique needs and ensure that bereaved colleagues, clients and customers are treated appropriately and compassionately. These services can include:
- training staff members who interact with bereaved people, such as line managers to help increase support within the workplace and customer-facing staff so they can respond appropriately to the needs of the bereaved;
- writing or reviewing materials, policies or processes for bereaved people;
- creating resource packs and video content or redesigning end-to-end bereaved customer journeys.
When it comes to bereavement, there isn’t much Cruse can’t help with. By working with Cruse Bereavement Support, you can improve the wellbeing of your staff and customers, while doing your part to enhance the societal treatment of bereaved people everywhere.
