Grief Awareness in the Workplace: A Foundational Introduction
Choose a 60-minute Awareness Session or a 90-minute Interactive Workshop, designed to help teams understand grief and respond with confidence and compassion.
What to expect from this course
Grief is a universal experience, but many people feel unsure about what to say or do when a colleague is grieving.
This course provides a practical and compassionate introduction to grief in the workplace, helping participants understand how bereavement and loss can affect people differently and how this may show up at work.
Participants explore how to approach sensitive conversations, what can help and what may unintentionally make things harder, and how to offer appropriate support without feeling they need to have all the answers.
The session encourages a grief-aware workplace culture where people feel more confident responding with compassion, respect and appropriate boundaries.
Duration:
60-minute Awareness Session
90-minute Interactive Workshop, including additional discussion, workplace scenarios and Q&A
Delivery: Live facilitated, in person or online
Audience: Colleagues across the organisation. Suitable for all staff.
Guidance and evidence
This course is informed by recognised workplace wellbeing and bereavement principles, including the HSE Working Minds 5Rs framework.
The 5Rs encourage organisations to Reach out, Recognise, Respond, Reflect and make it Routine, helping workplaces build more confident and supportive responses to wellbeing concerns.
The course applies these principles specifically to grief and bereavement, helping participants consider how they communicate, respond with compassion and maintain appropriate workplace boundaries.
Common concerns explored
People attending the session may feel:
Unsure how to approach a grieving colleague
Worried about saying the wrong thing or overstepping boundaries
Uncertain what appropriate and respectful workplace support looks like
Unsure how to help without feeling responsible for fixing someone’s grief
After this session, participants should be better able to:
Understand how grief can affect people differently and how this may show up at work
Approach conversations about grief with greater confidence and compassion
Use supportive language while avoiding common assumptions and unhelpful responses
Recognise the importance of listening, flexibility and individual needs
Maintain appropriate workplace boundaries and understand when additional support or signposting may be helpful
What participants have said
“Grief looks different for everyone, we shouldn’t assume.”
“I feel more prepared to say something helpful, not just avoid it.”
“It’s not about fixing, it’s about listening and being human.”
“We can support people without needing to be experts.”
Interested in bringing Grief Awareness in the Workplace to your organisation?
This introductory course can be tailored to your organisation, team and setting, helping colleagues build greater confidence around grief, bereavement and supportive workplace conversations.
The session is available as a 60-minute Awareness Session or a 90-minute Interactive Workshop, delivered live in person or online.
If you are unsure which option would be most appropriate, you do not need to decide before getting in touch. Use the form below to tell me a little about your organisation and what you are looking for.
Enquire about Grief Awareness in the Workplace
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Looking for a manager-focused course?
This introductory session is designed for everyone in the organisation. If you're looking to equip managers and team leaders with additional confidence around bereavement conversations, workplace responsibilities and compassionate leadership, explore Supportive Leadership: Navigating Grief in the Workplace.
Looking specifically for support around suicide?
Explore our Workplace Suicide Postvention guidance for practical information about responding after a suicide, or discover The Ripple Effect: Managing the Impact of Suicide in the Workplace training.
This training provides workplace awareness and guidance. It is not a substitute for specialist clinical, emergency or legal advice where this is required.