Grief doesn’t clock off, and neither should compassion
Managing grief in the workplace still feels like the last taboo. In fact, recently, we surveyed over 1,500 grievers from our Good Mourning community and what we heard was loud and clear:
💬 “I returned to work after the funeral and nobody acknowledged what had happened.”
💬 “Grief brain is real – I couldn’t concentrate, and I felt like a shell of myself.”
💬 “I wish my manager had received training. I felt more like a problem than a person.”
As leading grief educators and voices in the wellbeing space, we’ve delivered talks and workshops for some of Australia’s most recognised organisations and festivals – from Vivid Sydney and The Iconic HQ to Griefline, Motherless Daughters Australia and The Australasian Cemeteries and Crematoria Association (ACCA). Our podcast Good Mourning is one of the top grief podcasts in the world, with over 1.2 million downloads and a global community of listeners. And one of the things we have learnt is this: grief doesn’t stay neatly tucked away while we send emails and sit in meetings. It bleeds into our concentration, our capacity, and our energy. And most workplaces aren’t equipped to deal with that reality.
If you care about psychological safety, staff wellbeing and inclusive culture, then dealing with grief in the workplace isn’t just a “nice to have”. It’s an essential.
When grief and loss in the workplace is ignored
When grief is treated as a short-term inconvenience, people end up suppressing what they’re going through. Colleagues tiptoe around them, and the person grieving is often left isolated and overwhelmed. In Good Mourning, we talk about how the pressure to “bounce back” at work made us feel disconnected and unsupported.
Whether you’re a people leader or a teammate, knowing how to support someone dealing with grief in the workplace is essential for building trust and psychological safety.
Managing grief in the workplace with empathy
Managing grief in the workplace isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about fostering a culture that says, “You don’t need to hide this part of your humanity here.” That could look like:
- Allowing flexible leave policies that reflect real-life grief
- Encouraging open conversations instead of silence
- Training managers to confidently hold space for hard things
- Acknowledging grief and loss in the workplace with compassion, not avoidance
What grief-informed workplaces do differently
When workplaces make room for real life (and death), people feel safer, more loyal, and more human. Our clients tell us that the ripple effect of normalising grief at work is massive. Team dynamics improve. Communication deepens. People show up more honestly.
Grief training supports managing grief in the workplace long-term – not just in the week after someone loses a loved one.
How our talks support your people
We’ve lived grief firsthand. Our sessions combine real stories with practical tools to help workplaces better understand grief and support employees in meaningful ways.
Whether you’re HR, in leadership, or part of a DEI or wellbeing team, we offer tailored talks and workshops that cover:
- Dealing with grief in the workplace
- Myths about grief that still show up in office culture
- Language that supports rather than shuts down
- How to honour grief milestones without making it weird
Trusted by organisations like…
We’ve worked with leading brands and organisations including The ICONIC, The Northern Beaches Council, Deja Marc, Griefline, The Australasian Cemeteries and Crematoria Association (ACCA) and HAS Foundation.
We’ve dedicated an entire chapter of our bestselling grief book, Good Mourning: Honest Conversations About Grief and Loss, to the topic of dealing with grief in the workplace. It’s packed with personal stories, practical insights, and expert advice to help employees and leaders better understand the emotional and cognitive impact of grief at work. If you’re looking to go deeper, it’s a great place to start.
Get in touch at hello@goodmourning.com.au to find out how we could support your team.
FAQ
Do you offer custom talks for different industries?
Yes – we tailor every talk to your workplace needs.
Are your talks just for HR teams?
No – we work with leadership teams, educators, and all-staff groups alike.
Author bio:
Good Mourning is one of the world’s top grief podcasts, with over 1.2 million downloads and a loyal global community. Founded by grief educators and authors Sally Douglas and Imogen Carn, Good Mourning offers compassionate, relatable, and expert-informed content to help people navigate loss, grief, and healing. From bestselling books to community-led workshops and podcast interviews with leading experts, Good Mourning is a trusted grief support hub for anyone experiencing life’s hardest moments.
Learn more at goodmourning.com.au
