What should Managers do when an employee dies?

I originally wrote an article on the topic of What should HR do when an employee dies?

Following this I was asked what managers in organisations with no Internal HR should do if an employee dies. The following steps should help Managers to navigate the tragic situation;

1.      Clear your diary

Immediately reschedule things and free yourself up to prioritise this situation.

2.      Provide support

Be there to provide support. If the team are on site, try to be there in person to inform them of the sad news.

3.      Get assistance from others in the business 

Put in place contingency measures and draw resources from other areas of the business to ensure that business-critical functions can continue.

4.      Seek specialist Bereavement Support

If the team are on site, it can be beneficial to arrange for a counsellor to come on site to support colleagues, most Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP’s) can be of great help in facilitating this. Ideally there should be a private room made available for the counsellor to hold sessions. Alternatively, this provision can also be offered in a remote context.

If you don’t have an EAP in place, the following links can help you find local bereavement services available in your area;

UK: Find bereavement services from your council - GOV.UK

IRELAND: Bereavement supports and services - HSE.ie

5.      Be available

Make yourself available for colleagues if they would like to talk to you, this is best done in person, but if that’s not possible, open your diary for calls or video calls. Try to offer support as best you can, in some instances you may need to signpost colleagues to other avenues of support.

6.      Be flexible

Be as flexible as possible with working hours and colleagues being present, if possible, allow colleagues to go home/ log off if they wish to. When we receive sad news, it tends to make us want to see the ones we love most. Managers have a duty as to look after the wellbeing of their team. Being flexible here is paramount.

7.      Contact the next of kin – if you don’t have HR assisting you with this

As hard as it may be, and the timing will never seem right, but reach out to the next of kin, even if it’s just to let them know they are in your thoughts. There may be support you can offer them like access to the EAP, support with funeral expenses etc, this will depend on your organisation.

8.      Remember to look after yourself

While you support others, remember that looking after your own wellbeing is crucial, as you can’t support others effectively unless you take care of yourself too.

As a manager this may be one of the most difficult situations you have to deal with, you don’t have to do this alone. HR/People Professionals handle all sorts of situations and can assist you through the process. Contacting a HR Consultancy who can provide advice and guidance can be of huge support.  You can contact us for support for all manner of HR/People issues via the following link: Contact | A Human Resource | AHR.