The Working Wounded: The Impact of Bereavement and Bereavement Leave on Employee Performance and Wellbeing
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Bereavement (i.e., the loss of someone significant through death) and bereavement leave have a substantial impact in the workplace. Research by the Center for Creative Leadership shows that bereavement impacts job performance, physical wellbeing (e.g., absenteeism), and long-term job attitudes (e.g., engagement). Most employees report insufficient bereavement leave, which is related to lower employee mental wellbeing. This research, along with a supporting framework, will help decision makers establish (or modify) HR policies and practices.
Learning Objectives:
- Learn the 'basics of bereavement,' including common grief reactions and prevalent misconceptions about bereavement (e.g., the 'five stages of grief' myth);
- Recognize the subtle ways that bereavement can impact employee and coworker performance and interpersonal interactions;
- Understand the impact of varying lengths of bereavement leave on bereaved employees and possibilities for structuring more flexible bereavement leave policies;
- Assess current organizational policies and practices for alignment with a suggested framework;Identify 'small win' ways to support bereaved employees.
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Accessibility & Accommodations Information: For detailed accessibility & accommodations information, visit INFO > FAQs in the app.
Diane Bergeron
Dr. Diane Bergeron is a social-organizational psychologist and current Senior Research Scientist at the Center for Creative Leadership. She has consulted and worked with Fortune 500 companies. She earned her PhD at Columbia University. Her research and consulting areas include women’s leadership, workplace listening, and grief and bereavement in the workplace. Prior to graduate school, she spent two years volunteering in the Dominican Republic. Formerly, she was an associate professor in a business school at a research university. She took two years off work for a family sailing adventure. It was the best decision she ever made.
