Grief and bereavement in the workplace: Why these conversations matter

Written by Mariam Khatoon, Lecturer at South and City College 

I attended the Future Faces session on grief and bereavement in the workplace, the session was led by Rebecca Mander and Hannah Bailey and it highlighted how important these conversations are.

Grief is something we all experience differently, and one of the biggest takeaways for me was that grief isn’t linear.

It doesn’t follow a timeline and you don’t just “move on” or “get over it” there are days where it can feel like its day one all over again.

That unpredictability can be difficult to carry, especially in a work environment where life is expected to continue as normal.

This is something workplaces don’t fully understand, but it’s so important that they do and create spaces for people to navigate grief in their own way.

A key message from the session was the importance of simply acknowledging grief. Not trying to fix it, not making assumptions and not making it about yourself, just recognising what someone is going through.

Even asking gentle, practical questions and truly listening to the answer can make a difference.

We often think we know what someone needs, but the reality is, we don’t and that’s okay.

There was also a really powerful discussion around identity. After a bereavement, things change, how someone feels, how they show up, even how they see themselves but that doesn’t make them any less valuable as part of a team. Creating space for that adjustment with understanding and patience is so important.

What also stood out was the role of the brain in grief. You can’t fully prepare for bereavement but understanding how the brain processes loss and the importance of talking can help.

I think conversations around grief and bereavement matter, support matters and sometimes, for those going through grief just being heard really matters the most.

This session was not easy, but it was an important one. It gave space to something that is often left unspoken, especially in professional environments.

For me, it was a reminder that grief doesn’t just sit outside of work, people carry it with them quietly, every single day.