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 employees from reaching out, it is incumbent on supervisors supporting a staff member experiencing grief to adopt a mindset whereby it is understood the supervisor will engage with the staff member experiencing grief. This means thinking about the grieving person when planning operational needs. Specifically, supervisors should be prepared and:
- Offer proactive support with taking entitlements or any other relevant leave.
- Be agile and get organized quickly as death can be sudden.
- Avoid overwhelming the grieving employee with multiple emails but be efficient and brief when their input is required, especially in the early moments.
Supervisors are encouraged to consult with their Human resources representatives for any help needed to put in place the measures described above.
Other elements to consider include:
Counseling is available for the staff member through the Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) and/or through 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 may be provided to staff members experiencing the losses. Refer to their respective collective agreement or personnel policies to see what is applicable. For additional information on policies, speak to HR representative.
Short-term disability: should your employee be unable to perform the normal duties of their position due to a medical condition diagnosed by their treating physician, a short-term disability leave may be appropriate. A medical note will be required but can be shared exclusively with an HR representative or Disability Management Advisor if the employee prefers. Refer to the employee’s collective agreement or personnel policies to see what applies. For additional information on short-term disability, speak to your HR representative or a Disability Management Advisor.
Remember that grief can affect a staff member’s productivity and plan to support the staff member during this period.
Understand that grief is individual, and official bereavement policies within the organization are typically limited to certain relationships. Grief can, however, occur in non-traditional relationships and supervisors 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 supervisor you need to be compassionate, provide help, while ensuring the environment remains conducive to learning and working.
Supervisors 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.
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
- As a supervisor, if you are unsure of how to proceed, you can contact EFAP for guidance.
- Ensure proper acknowledgment of the person’s passing (could be in the form of a ceremony / get together to mourn and celebrate the colleague / moment of silence and remembrance at an 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. This can be offered through the EFAP services by contacting healthandwellbeing.hr [at] mcgill.ca.
- Ensure someone is charged with retrieving the personal effects, books, and other items that will be sent to the family.
- Connect with Secretariat in order to honour the person by lowering the flag.
