How to deal with the unexpected death of a colleague

Planning for the unthinkable can help your staff deal with the practical and emotional impact of the death of a colleague, says Jane Robson

The loss of a team member can happen for any number of reasons, and most of the time you will have a month’s notice to find a replacement, organise training and work out any tweaks to maintain service to customers. But what if the loss is sudden and unexpected?

Although it’s not something anyone is keen to consider, the sudden death of a colleague could have a massive impact on your business.

As a manager, you will be in the uncomfortable position of dealing with staff grief and managing logistics. Often when people deal with the loss of someone close, work can be a welcome distraction, but when a colleague dies, the workplace offers less of an opportunity to escape grief.

Grief can affect people in different ways –physical, emotional and psychological – and you will need to navigate a course where you simultaneously look after your staff and keep the business running. You will find this task easier if you have already planned as much as possible for this eventuality.

Communication is important

Inform your staff about the death of a colleague with sensitivity. This is particularly important if a team is small, but regardless of the size of your workforce, always bear in mind that close friendships may have developed. Provide staff with contact details for sources of support. Speak to people in person. Be respectful of any limits on information requested by the person’s family.

Consider how you and your team will pass condolences on to the deceased person’s family. Decide if you will organise sending a condolence card and/or flowers from the team or leave it to individuals to pay their respects in their own way, in which case you will need to organise passing on contact details.

Inform staff about funeral arrangements and decide on your preferred arrangements on the day. It may be that you give everyone time off to attend the funeral service or to reflect and to mark the day in their own way. Or if that is not possible, perhaps the business can be represented by two or three people at the service. Whatever route you decide to take, it will be easier to implement if you have thought about it in advance.

The practical aspects

Dealing with clearing a deceased’s colleague’s locker can be difficult – there may triggering reminders, such as handwritten notes and personal effects. Be cautious about delegating this task, but it may be something that another colleague takes some comfort from. Also consider if the family of the deceased wants to be involved in some way.

The impact of the sudden death of a colleague on the business itself can be mitigated by safeguards such as sharing calendars and contacts lists, but this will depend on the role of the deceased colleague and will vary from business to business. You need to plan ahead to ensure your customers continue to receive your services, and you should also consider how work will be re-allocated.

The burden of looking after your staff while keeping the business on track will rest on your shoulders, but do remember to include yourself in the mix. Being in crisis management mode may spare you from the initial emotional impact of the loss of a colleague, but grief has a way of catching up with you. Make sure your contingency planning includes looking after you.

Jane Robson is chief executive of the National Association of Licensed Paralegals (NALP)

www.nationalparalegals.co.uk

Photo: Priscilla Du Preez/unsplash