Coping with the loss of an employee

The hardest thing one can face in a workplace is the loss of an employee, whether it be by accident or if it is expected.  This can be an emotionally hard time for your coworkers and employees, and you have to take the right steps to allow everyone to grieve.

I have been in this situation a few times.  The hardest situation I have dealt with was the death of an associate by accident.  This is especially hard since no one saw it coming and it was especially tough to deal with since the person was very young.

As a leader, you don’t just manage everyone on a professional level, you manage them on a personal level.  As a human being yourself, it can be hard to maintain composure during such a difficult time, let alone provide support for others.

Most companies provide some sort of service to help cope with a tragic situation.  At the very least some provide counseling over the phone, and some companies even go so far as to have a team of trained folks come in the workplace to help.

As with every other situation at work, it’s important that you maintain your composure and let others come to you for support.  It can be a very confusing and challenging time, and you have to show compassion and be prepared to help everyone move on.

You will more than likely have a group of people who were especially close to the associate who may need some extra time away to deal with things.  You have to let them take the time necessary and allow them certain concessions under these circumstances.

I also make it a point to personally contact the family and offer any assistance that I can, whether it be with getting things done for them or even arranging a fundraiser if they may have difficulty paying the bills.

I also make sure to attend the viewing and the funeral if possible and allowed by the family, because it means a lot to them and your other associates to show that you are there for them, and so is your company.