Employees can’t afford to take time off work following a bereavement

In the wake of COVID-19, employers must review their bereavement policies to support grieving members of staff, says end of life charity Marie Curie.

Nearly half (49%) of bereaved people said that they couldn't afford to stay off work¹, returning before they were ready, and a further 58% felt their performance was affected by grief in the months after the bereavement².

Nearly one in five bereaved people also said they received no paid leave³ and over half worried about their job security when taking time off⁴.

Marie Curie surveyed 1,000 employed people who experienced a bereavement in the previous 12 months as well as over 400 HR professionals about policies and procedures in place to support their staff.

"My employer didn't really do anything to support me. It was: "you need time off? OK, you can have it unpaid" said one anonymous respondent.

"They didn't do anything. It was quite clear they just wanted me back as soon as possible" said another.

Nyiesha Wollaston's dad Dennis died five weeks after diagnosis and she received minimal support from her workplace. Nyiesha, 29, from London, said: "I got a call from my brother while I was at work to tell me our dad had two weeks to live. I was in shock and waited for my line manager or someone in the organisation to say I could go home. I got in touch to tell them my dad was dying and they said they were sorry to hear the news but to let them know when it happens so my bereavement leave can start.

"In such an unimaginably tough time of my life, I didn't know what to feel or what was right in terms of support in the workplace. When my dad died I thought they were being supportive by letting me know my six days bereavement leave had started. But there is no time frame for bereavement and when I returned to work the following week I wasn't ready, I felt like I was on another planet.

"During this time I had feedback that I wasn't performing at the same level as other people in a similar role. At the time I thought that was a fair comment but on reflection I was going through one of the hardest times of my life. And they knew that.

"No one knows how to act around you and people didn't know what to say, which is understandable. But my manager didn't take me aside to check in on me. In one of the morning meetings she even asked, 'why all the long faces, why is everyone so down?'.

"If you're working through grief and trying to make sense of it all, you need those regular check ins and someone to look out for you. Maybe they didn't do this for me because they were worried I was going to cry but its better to show you care than to say nothing."

Ken Akers, Head of HR at Marie Curie, said:
"Returning to work before you are ready can complicate experiences of grief but for some work can be that routine and sense of normality people crave in times of crisis. Whatever the decision, employees must feel supported and trusted to do what is best for them.

"Part of creating a healthy environment around bereavement at work is about staff feeling equipped and supported to talk. It can be difficult to find the words or know how to support our colleagues but we must all find the courage to talk. It might be a difficult and uncomfortable conversation but it's so important. We know that people are missing out on the support they need from their employers at an incredibly difficult time of their lives.

"Whether you are a small or large organisation, there are things you can do to be a more supportive, compassionate employer, and Marie Curie can help."

Louise Bowen, Marie Curie COVID Bereavement Co-ordinator adds: "The heart takes time to heal and there is no set time scale for grief. I'm always hearing people's expectations around how long grief takes. Should they feel better or normal in a week, a month or even a year's time? The simple answer is no but there are ways for you to cope and feel supported in your journey, including your return to work."

Claire McCartney, Senior Policy Adviser, Resourcing and Inclusion, said:
"At the CIPD, we think it's crucial that organisations properly support their bereaved colleagues. Employees that have experienced a close family bereavement will need time to come to terms with what's happened and will be unlikely to be able to perform well at work if they are forced to return too quickly."

Marie Curie can help transform the way you support your bereaved colleagues. Let's handle grief better at work. Visit Mariecurie.org.uk/grief-at-work

The National Day of Reflection, on 23 March 2022, is an opportunity to support staff wellbeing by taking time to acknowledge – and reflect on – their experiences of grief and loss. Visit www.mariecurie.org.uk/daytoreflect

The Marie Curie Information & Support Service offers practical information and emotional support on all aspects of death, dying and bereavement. Call free on 0800 090 209 or visit mariecurie.org.uk/support

Ends

Notes to Editor

For further information please contact:
Josie Roberts, PR & Media Officer
Josie.roberts@mariecurie.org.uk
07926772974

Employee & HR survey
Marie Curie Bereavement at Work Employee Survey January 2021 - Marie Curie surveyed 1,000 employed people who'd experienced a bereavement in the previous 12 months. The survey covered bereavement policy and leave, the return to work, available support and organisational culture relating to dying, death and bereavement. The sample included 440 line managers who were asked specific questions regarding the support they were offered.

Marie Curie Bereavement at Work HR Survey April 2021 - Marie Curie surveyed 406 HR professionals employed within small, medium and large organisations across sectors. The survey targeted experienced HR professionals at a level most likely to lead on or manage more complex HR issues – 47% were HR Directors, functional heads and senior business partners. The HR survey questions capture an organisational perspective and largely mirror those from the employee survey allowing employer/employee comparisons.

1. Thinking about your most recent bereavement, to what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements? The immediate weeks after the person close to me died......I couldn't afford to stay off work so had to return before I was ready (49%)
2. Thinking about your most recent bereavement, to what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements? In the months after the person close to me died......from my perspective, my performance at work was affected by my grief (58%)
3. How many days of paid bereavement leave that was additional to your normal leave entitlement were you offered by your employer?0 days of paid leave (19%)
4. Thinking about your most recent bereavement, to what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?...I worried that taking time off would affect my job security (54%)

About Marie Curie
Marie Curie is the UK's leading end of life charity. The charity provides essential frontline nursing and hospice care for people with any terminal illness, a free support line and a wealth of information and support on all aspects of dying, death and bereavement. It is the largest charity funder of palliative and end of life care research in the UK. Marie Curie is committed to sharing its expertise to improve quality of care and ensuring that everyone has a good end of life experience. Marie Curie is calling for recognition and sustainable funding of end of life care and bereavement support.

National Day of Reflection - 23 March
An opportunity for the Nation to reflect, remember and celebrate the lives of everyone that died during the pandemic – from Covid and other causes. The charity believes it is important to talk more openly about dying, death and bereavement to improve experiences at end of life and to help reduce the lasting effects of grief.

Please note we are 'Marie Curie' (not 'Marie Curie Cancer Care')
mariecurie.org.uk
facebook.com/MarieCurieUK
twitter.com/mariecurieuk
instagram.com/mariecurieuk

Marie Curie Information and Support line
The Support Line is available for anyone with any questions about dying, death, bereavement and terminal illness. Calls are free on 0800 090 2309. Lines are open 8am-6pm Monday to Friday and 11am-5pm on Saturday. You can also visit www.mariecurie.org.uk/help/support

CIPD
The CIPD, Lucy Herd, Marie Curie and many others, believe the time is right to call for an extension of Jack's Law (parental bereavement leave and pay legislation) so that employee's experiencing the bereavement of a close family member can also be supported by the statutory provisions.

While many organisations provide paid bereavement leave to support employees at one of the most difficult times of their lives, this is far from universal and extending the statutory provision would give employees time and space to grieve rather than worrying about paying their bills and financial worries.

It's also vital that organisations think of the support they can give to bereaved employees beyond any period of bereavement leave and pay. The CIPD have produced compassionate bereavement guidance for both organisations and people managers to help them to support a compassionate culture around bereavement at work.