Grief Does Not Stay at Home: Rethinking Support in the Workplace

Editor's note: Posts published on From the Workplace are written by outside contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of SHRM.

Most organizations operate with an unspoken expectation: Leave your personal life at the door. While that may feel manageable for everyday stressors, grief does not work that way.

Grief follows people into meetings, affecting their decision-making, communication, concentration, and energy levels. It appears in missed details, emotional exhaustion, irritability, forgetfulness, and withdrawal. Grief shows up at work because grief is part of being human.

Yet many workplaces continue to approach bereavement as though it is temporary and quickly resolved. Employees may receive a few days of bereavement leave and then return to environments that quietly expect productivity, emotional composure, and a rapid return to normal. But after a significant loss, there is often no previous normal to return to.

Grief and mental health are deeply interconnected. Individuals navigating loss may experience sadness, anxiety, exhaustion, changes in identity, difficulty concentrating, disrupted sleep, and increased stress responses. These reactions are not signs of weakness. They are natural human responses to significant loss and life disruption.

Growing concerns around artificial intelligence, automation, and organizational restructuring are also creating new layers of uncertainty. Across many industries, workers are navigating layoffs, job instability, and increased performance pressures tied to technological change. For employees already carrying personal grief, these workplace anxieties can intensify emotional exhaustion and feelings of instability. In environments where people fear being replaced or viewed as less valuable, many feel even less safe acknowledging emotional struggles or asking for support.

For many adults, grief involves far more than emotional pain. Family members often become responsible for funeral planning, probate, estate management, caregiving transitions, and legal and financial matters, all while grieving themselves.

The Cost of Ignoring Grief at Work
When grief is treated as a private issue that employees should quietly manage on their own, people are often left feeling isolated and unsupported. Research consistently demonstrates that grief affects cognitive functioning, emotional regulation, physical health, interpersonal relationships, and workplace engagement. Bereaved employees may experience reduced working memory, impaired decision-making, heightened stress responses, and difficulty maintaining attention.

The economic consequences are significant. Grief-related productivity losses are estimated to cost U.S. businesses between $75 billion and $100 billion annually. But the deeper concern is what these numbers represent: millions of people attempting to navigate profound personal loss within systems that often lack emotionally informed support. When organizations fail to acknowledge grief as a legitimate workplace experience, the cost is measured in trust, morale, psychological safety, and long-term employee well-being.

What Supportive Leadership Looks Like
Supporting grieving employees does not require perfect words or elaborate programs. Often, the most meaningful support comes through acknowledgment, flexibility, and consistency.

Statements such as "I'm sad for your loss," or "You do not have to carry this alone" often matter more than searching for flawless language. People rarely remember perfect words during grief. They remember whether others showed up.

Organizations can also provide flexibility with workload, scheduling, and expectations as employees regain stability. Grief does not follow predictable timelines, and supportive flexibility reflects responsive leadership. Staying consistently connected matters as well. Many grieving employees describe how support disappears after the first few days following a loss. Regular, respectful check-ins communicate ongoing care without overwhelming the person.

Finally, organizations can reduce stigma by openly encouraging counseling services, peer support, and mental health resources. When leaders normalize help-seeking, employees are more likely to access support before distress becomes overwhelming. Research on psychological safety suggests that workplaces where employees feel emotionally respected are associated with stronger collaboration, engagement, and organizational health. A grief-informed workplace is sustainable leadership.

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Emilio Parga is the executive director and thanatologist for The Solace Tree.