When Grief Shows Up at Work

In this episode of Human Services Stories: Management, Customer & Staff Voices, host Clinton Lewis reflects on how grief appears in the workplace through family losses, staff departures, personal tragedies, and the emotional weight of caring for hurting children and families. The episode reminds listeners that grief is not a productivity issue; it is a human one. Clinton encourages managers, staff, and leaders to acknowledge grief, hold space for one another, and respond with compassion, presence, and support. It also offers guidance on connecting people to helpful resources when they need more support than the workplace can provide.

Transcript

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Welcome to Human Services Stories Management, Customer Staff Voices. I'm Clinton Lewis, and I'm glad you're here. This shows about the people behind the work, the manager, staff, customers, and communities who care, support, and help one another move forward. Today's episode is called When Grief Shows Up at Work. In Human Services, grief is never far away. It shows up in families who have lost children and children who have lost safety or stability and coworkers who lost someone they love. And in a quiet sadness that hangs in a room after a hard case, it shows up in an invisible in a visible weight people carry when they know once someone is hurting and they cannot make everything better. And this word grief is part of a human experience and it deserves to be recognized. Grief does not always arrive loudly. Sometimes it shows up in silence. Sometimes it shows up as short, short patience, low energy, tears in a private moment, a person seeming distant when they're usually engaged. Sometimes grief shows up in the middle of the workday and makes ordinary tasks feel heavier than usual. When that happens, most the most important thing we can do is respond with both uh with compassion instead of judgment. Remember, grief the grievous human. Grief is not a performance problem, it's not a sign that someone is failing. It is a sign that they care. When a staff member seems quieter, slower, or even more emotional, they may be carrying loss while still trying to be professional and productive and helpful. That takes strength, even if it doesn't always look strong from the outside. They may be grieving a personal loss, feeling the pain of a family they serve, or holding an emotional weight of a difficult situation involving a child or a vulnerable adult. That kind of grief does not disappear just because a shift begins. It comes to work with them and can stay with them throughout the workday. We have to remember that people are not machines, they're human beings doing emotionally demanding work. When grief shows up, it takes us to slow down enough to notice what is happening and respond in a way that honors the person in front of us. It's about holding space. One of the most important things you can do when grief is present is to hold space. This means noticing when someone seems different. It means asking, are you okay? You know, with care. And it means being willing to listen without trying to rush the person through their feelings. Holding space does not mean fixing everything. It does not mean having the perfect words. It means being present. It means making room for honesty. It means allowing someone of the dignity of being sad without forcing them to hide or to make others more comfortable. Sometimes holding space looks like giving a person a few extra minutes. Sometimes it looks like checking in on them later. Sometimes it looks like saying, I'm here and actually meaning it. That kind of support can make a heavy day more manageable. It can also remind someone they do not have to carry everything alone. Grief needs compassion, not correction. It needs presence, not pressure. It needs a workplace culture that understands that people may be hurting and still trying to do their best. It's about supporting one another. Support in the workplace matters, especially when grief is involved. A supportive team can make the difference between someone feeling isolated and someone feeling held by the people around them. Support can be simple, but it must be sincere. You can support a co-worker by checking in privately, offering to help with the task, or giving them room to breathe, listening without rushing, and reminding them that they are not alone. When grief affects a teen, the whole atmosphere can shift. That is why support should not be limited to formal policy. It should be part of everyday culture. People should not feel people should feel comfortable saying this is hard. And I know that they met me with understanding. As co-workers, managers, and leaders, we have a responsibility to care for people doing the work, not just the work itself. When we support one another, we strengthen the whole team. Let's take a look at managers and team grief. As a manager, we need to make space for mourning. You may need to acknowledge a loss directly. You may need to let your team know that it's okay to be affected. That kind of leadership creates safety. It tells people that they can be human at work without being shamed for it. Managers also help by making sure that people know where to turn to for additional support. Sometimes grief affects a person deeply, and they need more, they may need more than conversation alone. They may need access to counseling, employee support services, a chaplain or faith leader, a trusted mental health provider, or another former help. It is leadership to point people towards those supports. A strong team culture does not pretend grief is not real. It makes room for it, it acknowledges losses, provides care, and keeps the work moving without treating people like they should simply get over it. Let's take a look at support and resources. Sometimes the best support is also helping someone connect to the right resources. A stab member or co-worker or a client is struggling with grief, it may benefit from professional support. Depending on the situation, that can include an employee assistance program, a licensed counselor or therapist, a grief support group, a faith-based support network, a community mental health center, or a crisis line if someone is overwhelmed and in immediate distress. If someone is in danger of harming themselves or someone else, or if they are in an immediate crisis, emergency services should be contacted right away. Um as quickly as possible. Referral is not about pushing someone away, it's about helping them get the care they need. It is one more way of saying you matter and I want to help you find a support that fits your situation. Here's a closer moment for this episode. Ask yourself number one, has Greece shown up in my workplace recently? Number two, how did I respond? Number three, who on my team may need more support right now? Number four, what resource could I refer someone to if they needed help beyond what I can offer? And number five, what small adjustment can I make the next time to honor grief without rushing past it? Then you can ask yourself, I will notice grief and meet it with care, not judgment. I will provide support to others and I will connect them to the right resources when needed. In closing, grief will always find its way into the workplace. What matters is how we respond, with compassion, presence, and a willingness to walk besides others through hard moments. Sometimes that means listening, sometimes that means adjusting expectations, sometimes it means offering a referral to a counselor, support group, employee assistance program, or a crisis resource. In human services, we do not have to pretend grief is not there. We can acknowledge it, we can support one another through it, we can help people find the right resources, and we can do all that while still continuing to work, right that really matters. Thank you for listening to Human Services Stories, Management Customer Style Voices. Keep showing up with compassion, keep making room for humanity, and keep caring for one another through the hard moments. And remember, you got this.