Grief in the Workplace

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Every year, around one million people die in Germany, 10 – 20 % of whom are of working age. And at least as many people grieve. This poses a particular challenge for companies. What is an appropriate way to deal with death and grief in everyday working life? How can a respectful condolence be organised? What do the colleagues and team left behind need? How should the deceased be remembered? How do you deal with grief in the workplace? How can we create a corporate culture that combines work and grief in a meaningful way?

At a glance

The Centre for Further and Continuing Education (ZEW) at the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam offers several in-house training courses on the topic of "Grief in the workplace", which can be tailored to your individual needs:

  • basics of grief in the workplace
  • grief counselling and leadership tasks
  • rituals and culture of remembrance in the company
  • communication and crisis management

You are welcome to coordinate the content of the individual training courses with us.

Your advantages:

  • The training courses are individually tailored to the needs of your organisation/company.
  • Your employees receive practical knowledge and skills for dealing with grief in the workplace.
  • You promote an open and appreciative corporate culture.

Learning objectives

With in-house training courses, you contribute to an appreciative approach to grief in the company and at the same time strengthen the health and performance of your employees:

  • Impart knowledge: Stages of grief, effects on work, legal principles
  • Strengthen your ability to act: Supporting bereaved people, communication, crisis management
  • Shaping corporate and organisational culture: Grief-friendly environment, rituals, promoting resilience
Prof. Dr. Karin Borck

We have to be honest: serious illnesses, crises, death and grief – they don't really fit into our idea of a career. Death and grief are unsettling, they disrupt our usual routines and all certainties seem lost. This topic will occupy us even more in the future.

Prof. Dr. Karin Borck
Lecturer

In-House Training on the Topic

Contents:

  • social and cultural context of death and grief
  • effects of grief on everyday working life
  • sensitisation to the needs of grieving people
  • developing an appreciative approach to grief in the company

In this training course, you will learn the basics of dealing with grief in the workplace. You will learn how grief affects work performance and teamwork, and how you can support grieving colleagues in an appreciative way.

Learning outcomes

  • sensitisation to the needs of grieving people
  • development of an appreciative approach to grief in the company
  • teaching skills for dealing with grieving colleagues

Target group: Managers, HR managers and employees who come into contact with bereaved people

Duration: 1 day

Contents:

  • bereavement counselling as part of occupational health management (OHM)
  • legal aspects of dealing with grief
  • management tasks in bereavement counselling
  • development of a company bereavement concept

In this training course, you will learn how to support grieving employees in their day-to-day work. You will receive practical tips on how to conduct conversations and learn how to create an appreciative and supportive working environment.

Learning outcomes:

  • development of skills for bereavement counselling in the company
  • empowering managers to support grieving employees
  • promotion of an open and appreciative corporate culture

Target group: Managers and HR managers

Duration: 2 days

Contents:

  • importance of rituals in coping with grief
  • designing appropriate rituals in the corporate context
  • establishing a culture of remembrance
  • dealing with difficult grief situations

In this training course, you will learn about the importance of rituals and a culture of remembrance in coping with grief. You will learn how to organise rituals in the corporate context and how to create an appreciative remembrance of the deceased.

Learning outcomes:

  • gain knowledge about the importance of rituals in mourning
  • development of ideas for creating a culture of remembrance in the company
  • promoting an appreciative approach to grief and loss

Target group: Employees who come into contact with bereaved people

Duration: 1 day

Contents:

  • empathic dialogue with grieving people
  • correspondence and expressions of condolence
  • dealing with crisis situations in the company
  • developing an emergency plan

In this training course, you will learn how to communicate empathically with grieving people and how to manage crisis situations in the company professionally. You will receive practical tips on how to conduct conversations and learn how to draw up an emergency plan.

Learning outcomes:

  • development of skills for empathic communication with bereaved people
  • gain knowledge about how to deal with crisis situations in the company
  • creation of an emergency plan for dealing with bereavement

Target group: All employees

Duration: 1 day

Target groups

The in-house training courses are aimed at HR managers, executives and all interested employees who would like to receive further training in the area of bereavement and death:

  • specialists and managers from the areas of personnel development, health management
  • employees in social and educational professions and
  • coaches, counsellors, psychologists, educators, therapists and doctors

Further information

The in-house training courses are individually adapted to the needs of your organisation/company. After teaching the basics, a specific task from the organisation is worked on. The interactive development of solution ideas takes place in small groups or with all participants, depending on customer requirements. The lecturer follows a problem-oriented learning approach and prepares customised input with practical examples.

It is possible to combine or shorten individual modules.

We will be happy to answer your questions and provide you with a customised offer.

Do you have any questions? Please contact us!

Fedor Zatchinaev

Fedor Zatchinaev

Coordination & Organisation ZEW