A Guide to Building Compassionate Family and Bereavement Policies

Effective family leave and bereavement policies are essential for fostering a compassionate workplace that recognizes employees’ needs during some of life’s most challenging times. 

As Joy Portella shared, losing a loved one is a deeply emotional experience that affects employees’ ability to focus and perform at work. Companies must, therefore, prioritize supportive policies that help employees manage these life events with dignity, empathy, and flexibility. 

Here’s how to create strong family and bereavement policies.

Have a Strong Policy

First and foremost, every organization should have a clear and well-defined bereavement policy outlined in their employee handbooks. A policy should specify the amount of paid or unpaid leave employees can take to mourn the loss of immediate family members like parents, siblings, children, or extended family. 

A strong bereavement policy is not just about days off; it’s about understanding that grief is a journey, and employers need to offer support and flexibility throughout that journey. This structured approach removes ambiguity and stress for grieving employees and ensures consistency across the organization.

Strong policies also include defining what constitutes “family” to accommodate different family structures. 

According to SHRM, companies should “ensure policies are inclusive by considering non-traditional family relationships, like close friends or pets, who may hold significant importance to employees.” 

This inclusivity helps maintain fairness and support within diverse teams.

Build In Flexibility

Bereavement policies must account for the complexity of modern family dynamics. For many, a close friend, aunt, or even a pet may hold a family-like significance. Therefore, policies should include flexibility, allowing employees to discuss their unique circumstances with HR or leadership. 

Grief is personal and does not fit neatly into a five-day bereavement policy. Employers must allow flexibility, including longer leaves, remote work, or reduced hours, to accommodate the individual’s grieving process.

A compassionate approach can make employees feel more valued and supported, improving morale and loyalty. Leaders should be encouraged to handle each situation with empathy, recognizing that everyone’s experience with grief is unique.

Recognize Death as a Process

Grief often starts long before the actual death, especially in cases of prolonged illness or health decline. Bereavement leave policies should be paired with a robust family leave policy that covers time off for caregiving responsibilities, which are often emotionally and physically exhausting. 

According to the Family and Medical Leave Act, eligible employees are entitled to up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for family care, including during end-of-life situations. Companies that exceed FMLA requirements can create a more supportive environment for employees navigating these challenging times.

Offering paid family leave options shows that a company is focused on financial success and values its people and their life experiences. It ensures that employees feel supported throughout their caregiving roles, helping to alleviate stress and prevent burnout, both before and after losing a loved one.

Get Real with Yourself

Employees and managers must recognize the mental and emotional toll that grief can take and adjust expectations accordingly. After the death of a loved one, it is common to experience mental fog, difficulty concentrating, and fatigue. 

Organizations should encourage employees to communicate openly about what they can and cannot handle and to delegate tasks where necessary. This practical approach can reduce stress for the grieving employee and ensure that work continues smoothly.

Trying to ‘power through’ grief without acknowledging its effects can lead to longer recovery times and affect mental health. Understanding personal limits during grieving and fostering a workplace culture that supports this recognition.

Model Good Behavior

Leadership plays a critical role in modeling the right behavior regarding bereavement and family leave policies. If managers or senior leaders insist on working through their grief, they set an unrealistic expectation that other employees may feel pressured to follow. Portella’s experience highlights the need for leaders to demonstrate that it is acceptable—and even encouraged—to take the necessary time off to process grief.

Leadership should model healthy grieving practices by taking time off, being transparent about their needs, and normalizing conversations about loss and mental health. Doing so can create a more empathetic and supportive workplace culture, increasing employee engagement and retention.

Be Human

Ultimately, bereavement and family leave policies must be grounded in empathy and understanding. HR and leadership must recognize that grief is not a linear process and affects everyone differently.

It’s essential to provide a space where employees feel comfortable discussing their needs without fear of judgment or retribution.

Maintaining open lines of communication and regularly checking in with grieving employees can help them feel supported and valued. Additional support services like grief counseling or employee assistance programs can further enhance the well-being of team members navigating loss.

The Importance of Talking About Death In the Workplace

Our society often avoids conversations about death, but it is an inevitable part of life that affects everyone. Organizations that address bereavement proactively and supportively can foster stronger, more resilient cultures. 

Portella argues, “By acknowledging that death is a part of life and creating a supportive environment, employers can help employees navigate the complexities of loss while maintaining healthy workplace relationships.” 

This approach benefits the organization and its people, ensuring a supportive culture that extends through good times and bad.

The Importance of Strong Family and Bereavement Policies

Creating strong family and bereavement policies is about more than just compliance; it’s about recognizing and respecting the human experience. Companies that are proactive, empathetic, and flexible in their approach to grief and family care will build a stronger, more loyal, and engaged workforce. 

In turn, these policies support a more compassionate and resilient workplace culture.

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