She recently expanded her services by becoming the South African representative of Workplace Bereavement, a specialist workplace bereavement consultancy that offers comprehensive and flexible workplace bereavement training.
“It is my mission to normalise grief and to educate people around the fact that grief cannot be left at home when an employee returns to work after the loss of a loved one.
I started Workplace Bereavement South Africa to help companies create a compassionate workplace environment to help employees manage their jobs and their grief,” Di says.
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“At Workplace Bereavement South Africa, we are passionate about building a workplace culture that understands grief as part of being human.”
Bereavement affects everyone uniquely, and will inevitably impact employees who are going through this difficult experience.
Depending on the individual, they may be affected throughout their working day, in everything from concentration and productivity, to their ability to interact with the rest of their team.
Recent studies highlighted that 35% of employees felt they did not receive bereavement guidance from their employers.
In South Africa, employees are entitled to only three days of compassionate leave after the loss of a loved one.
“At Workplace Bereavement, we provide bereavement training and resources for employers across South Africa. Working with our workplace bereavement consultancy, companies can ensure that the right support systems are in place to respond with empathy, appropriate support, and clear guidance,” Di says.
“Our goal is to raise awareness of the impact that grief can have on employees, and to help companies not only better understand the difficulty of losing someone close, but to respond with compassion and confidence.
“An employee’s grief can impact their team, their clients and their prospects. I will be offering training and also support for employees struggling to manage their grief and their job,” Di says.
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The Bereavement Advocacy training is certified and participants earn continual professional development points (CPD) if this applies in their industry.
“Grief is not something that can be left at the door, it becomes part of the person and they need to navigate a whole new normal. It walks with us into meetings, strategy sessions, and performance reviews.
“Whether we like it or not, it will have an impact on focus, decision-making, teamwork, and even morale,” Di says.
Having the support of their employer and the understanding of their colleagues is an important part of the process.
Grief significantly impacts employee well-being, focus, productivity, and discipline and yet, many employers still don’t know what to do with grief.
What employers can do:
- Offer flexible bereavement leave policies, allowing employees to take time off as needed. This is not a straightforward process, especially for smaller businesses;
- Provide access to grief counselling and support services to help employees cope with loss;
- Train managers to handle bereavement situations with empathy and understanding, fostering a supportive work environment; and
- Implement compassionate bereavement policies not only supports employees during difficult times but also enhances overall workplace productivity and morale.
·If you work in HR, lead a team, or own a business and want to create a more compassionate and supportive environment for employees walking the path of grief, contact Di at diane@diatherton.co.za or 082 551 3676.
