Today is Grief Awareness Day. Grief is a deeply personal process, and I believe that people should feel supported through in the best way for them and their life circumstances.
This is enshrined throughout Glass Ceilings Change Management’s values. We offer completely flexible paid Bereavement Leave for any loss and we promote this approach with all our policy clients.
Here, “completely flexible” means just that. In my experience (both for myself and others) grief comes in waves. There is the initial period where people require time off, first and foremost to come to terms with their loss, whilst having the time and space to deal with practical things and perhaps supporting other people around them without having to worry about work.
More often than not, people end up taking extra leave later on for the delayed effects of grief, either from their Annual Leave or even as sickness absence, and I’ve never felt that’s fair.
I would always authorise special leave for bereavement, no questions asked, whilst being available any time if someone needed my support or just a friendly ear. It’s the very least you can do to show kindness and empathy when someone needs it most.
I also believe it’s not an employer’s place to say what type of grief or relationship between the bereaved employee and the person they’ve lost has precedence. Far too often, workplace special leave or bereavement policies specify the nature of relationship that people can take time off for.
In addition, we support organisations to create an environment in which people feel safe to disclose they are living with grief so they can be better supported.
We also cover Serious Incident Responses, which includes supporting organisations responding to workplace fatalities or deaths in service.
I’ve also done a lot of 1:1 work with individuals preparing to return to the workplace following time off. This includes working with people who’ve been struggling following a period of bereavement and grief on regaining their self-confidence and improving their overall wellbeing ready to return to the workplace.
This is why complete flexibility is included throughout the Glass Ceilings Work-Life Inclusion Policy Framework®. It’s all centred around the principle that life happens, and when people are able to take the time and space they need to respond to life circumstances they will eventually return to work in a much better headspace.
If you or your organisation need support with any of this, get in touch anytime.
Laura Evans, CEO 30th August, 2025