Description

Covid-19 has brought many changes to the way that we work and to the employment landscape, as well as making grieving more difficult. In addition to Covid, employees can be impacted by grief at any time – whether through death, relationship breakup, diagnosis of an illness or perhaps suicide. The workplace can play a key role in helping employees to cope with the losses in their lives. Providing effective support to employees who are bereaved is vital in helping them to keep well and forms a key element of Workplace Wellbeing. This workshop will look at what is best practice in supporting employees who are grieving. It will identify key elements of a Workplace Bereavement Policy, signpost helpful resources, and show how to integrate support for grieving employees in to Workplace Wellbeing.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of the workshop participants will be able to:

• understand the impact of Covid-19 on employees who are grieving;

• know what research tells us about what is important to employees who are grieving;

• develop skills to provide effective support to an employee who is bereaved;• understand the key elements of a Workplace Bereavement Policy;

• identify key resources and how to integrate grief support in to Workplace Wellbeing.

Presenter Profile

Breffni McGuinness is the National Bereavement Development Specialist for Workplaces with the Irish Hospice Foundation. His special interests are in workplace bereavement, hidden losses and the use of creativity in working with people who are grieving. He has published a number of articles on bereavement and has developed resources for workplaces on bereavement policies and supporting staff who are bereaved. He is a Dramatherapist and member of the Irish Association of Creative Arts Therapists (IACAT).