Workplace Grief

Introduction

Consideration of the distressful effects of the loss of a child, and of an individual's need to be productive part of the human community, are the fundamental concerns of this study. People react as a whole and it is difficult to think of important experiences occurring in one's personal life without influencing one's work life. More specifically, can one suffer the hardship of the loss of a child without experiencing increased strains as a worker?

Support in the workplace at this most difficult time seems crucial for the grieving parent. The atmosphere or climate of an organization can affect the behavior of individuals working there. If the bereaved parent is not receiving adequate support in the workplace, it seems inevitable that an extra emotional burden may be added. Of importance is the need for organizations to recognize the factors accounting for the most negative side-effects and the factors that may help ameliorate such effects. The author has found no other studies specifically addressing the employed bereaved parent and the consequences of working while grieving.

Statement of the Problem

This study addresses the problem of whether the attitude of the corporation toward "extraorganizational" influences, that is, those events and situations outside the person's immediate work life which influence performance at work, supports or further complicates the grief process of employees. Lack of support may be a source of subsequent stress on the bereaved that in turn negatively affects job performance--often threatening loss of the job.

Questions addressed by this study will be:

• 1. How does the sudden death of a child affect the corporate parent who, while grieving, is also working?
• 2. How are corporations now addressing this problem? Does the attitude of the corporation help or further complicate the grief?
• 3. How are major corporations with programs to assist employees with personal problems (such as Employee Assistance Programs) helping the bereaved?

The problems this study examines are important for several reasons. First, the initial shock felt with sudden death is greater than with predictable death (Kübler-Ross, 1974). Second, the death of one's child is one of the most devastating of all human experiences. Third, many people not only spend most of their time at work but also find a substantial portion of their satisfaction and identity in their work. Fourth, an individual's work and non-work lives are intertwined and interdependent. As a consequence, problems at work affect the person's non-professional life and vice versa. Fifth, considering the amount of time spent at the workplace and the responsibilities to be productive there, the attitudes of the corporation can play a leading part either in assisting the mourning process or in hindering it.

This study is concerned with observing change in the organization's culture that will more fully integrate individual needs with organizational goals. For the emotional and mental well-being of their employees, use of resources within corporations such as the Employee Assistance Programs, designed to assist employees with personal problems, may lead to greater organizational effectiveness.

Purpose and Objectives of the Study

This study is divided into two parts. The first part consists of an examination of the grief of a working parent after the sudden death of his child. (For convenience, the masculine pronoun will be used to refer to both sexes throughout the study.) The bereaved parent's needs are examined from his viewpoint. The individual's work-setting is also examined from the standpoint of the organization's response to the employee's loss and whether or not this response fits his needs.

The second part of the study is an examination of four major corporations' Employee Assistance Programs regarding policies toward the bereaved employee.

The specific objectives of the study are the following:

• 1. To describe the trauma of the working parent after the sudden and unexpected death of his child.
• 2. To define the value of support needed to help a grieving parent accept the loss and achieve a favorable outcome to his mourning.
• 3. To define the particular needs of a bereaved working parent and the extra stressors he may be experiencing in working and grieving.
• 4. To examine the advantages and disadvantages of working while grieving.
• 5. To examine the bereaved parent's personal work setting and whether or not his needs are being met.
• 6. To determine if the current attitudes of the corporation are causing a negative influence on the grieving employee and further complicating his grief.
• 7. To determine what is currently being done in major corporations with Employee Assistance Programs regarding the needs of the bereaved.