Given that grief is unpredictable and can have an impact on decision making and focus, and that speaking about loss and grief is not the norm and may inhibit colleagues from reaching out, it is incumbent on Academic leaders supporting a staff member experiencing grief to adopt a mindset whereby it is understood the leader will actively engage with the staff member about the reassignment of work. This means thinking about the grieving person as potentially unavailable for contingency planning and immediate work obligations. Specifically, academic leaders should be prepared鈥攁nd offer:

• to reallocate all duties, especially finding replacements for course teaching (rather than expecting the staff member experiencing grief to 鈥渇igure it out鈥�)
• to offer proactive support with any required official leave process, etc.; finally,
• they should be agile and get organized quickly as death can be sudden. Avoid overwhelming the grieving colleague with multiple emails but be efficient and brief when their input is required, especially in the early moments.

Academic leaders are encouraged to consult with Professor david.j.wright [at] mcgill.ca (David Wright), Acting Associate Provost (Academic Policies and Faculty Affairs); for any help you may need to put in place the measures described above.

Other elements to consider include:

Making sure staff know that they can get counseling/professional support through the Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) and/or use coverage provided for psychological services under the McGill Supplemental Health Plan (up to 2000$ per year at 80% coverage for recognized practitioners).

Bereavement leave : a certain number of days off (up to 6) are provided to a staff member experiencing the losses listed in the Social Leave Policy, section 4.1. While in some cases the allocation may be sufficient, in many cases it will not be, and should be considered in combination with other measures.

Short term disability can be appropriate for a staff member in some cases. These leaves are overseen by Human Resources, although a Chair can play a key role in supporting the process for seeking out this type of leave. A person who goes on short-term disability leave can obtain a progressive return to work (maybe better to use official leave to ensure the progressive return is respected), and where a leave is approved, it provides for the continuation of 100% of regular salary for a period of up to six months.

Consider the option of a reduced load appointment or phased retirement, when appropriate for the stage of career of the staff member, remaining mindful of the negative correlated impact on compensation.

Consider the effects of grief on a staff member鈥檚 career and plan to support the staff member during these periods:

• before tenure
• progression to promotion to full professor
• broadly speaking, on productivity (delayed publications/impact can be seen on activity reports two to three years down the road) and academic salary policy and assessment for the purposes of merit.

When the colleague is fully back to work, the academic leader should strive to develop creative solutions to support the colleague in consultation with them (do not assume their need). They should strive to achieve fair and principled outcomes, not necessarily equal treatment and accommodation. The following are important elements for consideration:

• need for flexibility and creativity; reducing teaching, providing a tailored approach based on the needs of the person, (e.g., some may need to travel internationally, some may be experiencing a loss that is more disruptive, e.g., losing a spouse who was taking care of children, etc.).
• the possibility of reducing service for a period.
• consider that religious observance may differ by person and require accommodation.
• the possibility of reducing or relief from teaching for a period and/or the possibility of co-teaching, or occasional remote teaching within University-prescribed parameters.
• the availability of the Central Accommodation Fund as a source of funding for hiring course lecturer or back-end support to sustain research activity (e.g., lab support).

Understand that grief is individual, and official bereavement policies within organizations are typically limited to certain relationships. Grief can, however, occur in non-traditional relationships and leaders can be flexible in how they reorganize duties for staff member experiencing grief that is often less acknowledged.

A person who is grieving may be experiencing behavioural changes, become short-tempered, more irritable, etc. As a leader you need to be compassionate, provide help, while ensuring the environment remains conducive to learning and working.

Leaders can also model self-care: if you experience a loss, you too may need to seek support and take time to grieve, and by doing so, you demonstrate that it is okay to do so.

Most academics build a career at McGill and are colleagues for decades. This is a great opportunity to reinforce and cherish a culture of collegiality wherein we support others in our workplace, knowing that we may also need like support one day.

To break the silence, ask the grieving staff person for permission to send out communication to colleagues about the loss and what they would like it to communicate. Consider attending the funeral service/celebration of life or organizing a few colleagues to attend to support your colleague, provided that the staff member is comfortable with it. Consider organizing collection for providing care baskets and/or sending a sympathy card.

When the person who passed is also a staff member or is emeritus:

• Ensure proper acknowledgment of the person鈥檚 passing (could be in the form of a ceremony / get together to mourn and celebrate the colleague / moment of silence and remembrance at a Faculty event).
• Consider that colleagues (academic and admin and support staff) as well as students are also grieving
• Consider a group counseling session for colleagues, if appropriate.
• Ensure someone is charged with retrieving the personal effects, books, and other items that will be sent to the family.
• Connect with Secretariat to honour the person by lowering the flag.