Employee wellbeing | How employers can support employees after a bereavement

By Kay Needle, Early Intervention and Rehabilitation Expert at Generali UK Employee Benefits

Grief following the death of a loved one can be overwhelming. Well-meaning employers want to do their best to support employees after a bereavement. But, in our experience with group risk clients, this can sometimes translate into putting employees on sick leave – inadvertently medicalising bereavement – and/or signposting to talking therapies immediately after being notified of a bereavement. This might not be the most appropriate time.

In this article, we consider: the stages of grief; when employers should signpost to support; and what support is available via Group Income Protection and Group Life.

Stages of grief

Swiss-American psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross first discussed her theory of the five stages of grief, also known as the ‘Kübler-Ross model’ in her book On Death and Dying (1969). They include: