A Grief support advocacy challenge for your organisation this Grief awareness week.
Here is a serene and symbolic visual representation of Grief Awareness Week 2024, designed to reflect themes of remembrance, support, and hope. The image includes elements like a softly burning candle, a warm and peaceful horizon, and symbols of community, embodying the essence of this important week.
Grief Awareness Week 2024 is observed from December 2 to December 8 in the UK, organised by the Good Grief Trust. This annual campaign aims to raise awareness about grief, encourage open discussions, and support those navigating loss. The week features events such as remembrance services, grief cafes, workshops, and webinars designed to provide resources and create safe spaces for sharing experiences.
Highlights include "Light up a Life" remembrance services, grief walks, and online events like "Living with Loss" for individuals and "Grief in the Workplace" for professionals. These events emphasise the importance of understanding grief's varied and personal nature, breaking taboos, and offering tangible support to those grieving
More workplaces need to understand the grieving process and how it can be unique to each employee, so we have created the grief support framework challenge to help organisations to become a competent grief support advocate.
This involves three stages, each with a specific action item aimed at understanding, support, and resources within your workplace.
1. Create a Grief Policy (Foundation Stage)
Goal: Develop a clear and compassionate workplace policy for grieving employees.
Actions:
Form a task force to research best practices for bereavement policies, including leave options, flexible scheduling, and access to support services.
Engage employees in discussions or surveys to understand their expectations.
Publish and promote the policy, ensuring all staff know where to find it and how to use it when needed.
2. Build Awareness and Skills (Learning Stage)
Goal: Train your team to recognise and support grief in the workplace.
Actions:
Organise a grief-awareness workshop or partner with organisations like the Good Grief Trust or local bereavement charities
Include topics such as understanding grief stages, active listening, and what not to say to a grieving colleague.
Train HR staff and managers to respond effectively and empathetically to grief-related situations.
3. Implement Peer and Professional Support (Action Stage)
Goal: Provide accessible grief resources for employees.
Actions:
Establish a peer support group or designate “grief champions” within the company.
Partner with external counsellors or provide Employee Assistance Program (EAP) services focused on bereavement counselling.
Create a resource hub on your intranet with information on grief services, articles, and tools
Completion Milestone:
"Grief-Support Advocate Certification" Celebrate your completion of the challenge by hosting a recognition event during a meaningful week, such as Grief Awareness Week. Use this to share your journey and encourage other organisations to adopt similar practices.
This structured approach ensures your workplace becomes not just grief-aware but actively supportive, making a tangible difference for employees experiencing loss.
We support businesses weekly with strategies just like this one to become more competent around physical and mental health at work. It's called Health Co Partners and you can become one for FREE by clicking this link and signing up! www.teessidehealthco.com/bhcp