08/01/2026

Grief in the Workplace: Understanding, Supporting, and Intervening

By Ali Trovillion and Padraig Hughes

Workplace Grievers

Grief may accompany individuals in the workplace, affecting how they navigate tasks, interact with peers, and manage workplace demands. Grief can stem from a multitude of causes, such as the loss of a loved one, relationship, job, pregnancy, home, or health. Grieving is a recovery process that varies, with severe bereavement potentially leading to mental and physical illness, sometimes even premature death (Wilson et al., 2019). Some losses, like that of a child, may be a lifelong process of grief (Raitio et al., 2015). Grief can considerably reshape the meaning of daily routines (Batista et al., 2019), and stigmatized losses such as a pregnancy loss, may cause employees to suffer in silence (Gilbert et al., 2023). When grief lasts longer than a year and becomes maladaptive, it may be a sign of a disorder rather than a typical grief response. Prolonged grief disorder (PGD) was recently added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2022).

With today’s economic climate or perhaps out of a need for distraction, many people return to work too soon while in the grieving process, affecting their productivity. Grieving within the workplace manifests as being distracted, irritable, crying, and poor attention capability, but may include overworking to escape grief or resignations from employment (Wilson et al., 2019).  With grief lasting months, years, and even a lifetime, it is crucial that career practitioners identify resources to assist grievers throughout the journey. Bereavement in the workplace has received surprisingly little scholarly attention, yet insights gained focus on accommodations, social support, and supervisor training, (Gilbert et al., 2023). Practitioners can enhance their client’s productivity in the workplace, help them manage their emotions, and offer guidance.

Issues Facing Grievers in the Workplace              

Currently, there is no federal law requiring bereavement leave for employees in the United States, so employers are left to determine their own policies (Hanson, 2022).  An additional factor affecting those who are experiencing grief may be an inability to take time off from work, and an expectation to resume typical activities at work. Raitio et al. (2015) found that social support is crucial for employees who are grieving, and can be strengthened through workplace accommodations. Useful accommodations for grievers can include a shortened workday or workweek, a lighter workload, or even a transition to a less demanding role. Regardless of organizational size, the most commonly used support strategy is providing reduced shifts and fewer workdays per week (Wilson et al, 2019). Though less common, management and supervisors across organizations may attend grief and bereavement training. While individuals in positions of authority must balance business needs with employee needs, such training can better equip them to respond to the individualized needs of the grieving employees, who require different levels of accommodation and support (Dewhurst et al., 2025).

Navigating Grief in Careers Counseling

Career practitioners can have an impactful role in their grieving clients’ transition back into the workplace after the loss. Knowing the best professional approaches to assist clients and the resources available to them are essential to supporting clients' well-being and improvement during the grieving process. Operating within the context of NCDA’s (2024), Code of Ethics, career practitioners will need to be aware of "issues that warrant further exploration, whether through referral to another mental health professional, advocating for accommodations, or providing psychoeducation” (Wade, 2026, p. 13).

• Grief Literacy: Dewhurst et al. (2025) describes this as a multidimensional capacity to “access, process and use knowledge regarding the experience of loss” (p. 3). By developing this competency, practitioners can help clients learn to cope with life after losing a loved one, supporting a more successful reintegration in their social and professional roles.
• Boundary Theory: Gilbert et al. (2023) explains “people must navigate boundaries between domains (e.g., work-and non-work) by segmenting (separating) or integrating (blurring together) roles” (p. 2). Applying this theory can help clients balance personal loss and professional responsibilities.
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): Willi et al. (2024) found ACT helped to “improve coping and well-being for bereaved people by supporting them to create psychological space around distressing internal experiences and use that space to engage in value-directed action” (p. 4). Their research proposed this to be most effective when paired with another intervention, such as goal setting. Acknowledging ‘small gains’ during difficult times can provide impactful meaning in a client’s daily routine.
• Grief Refuge: Available through griefrefuge.com, this phone application offers features such as journaling, intentions, and self-assessment to track healing, and audio reflections to help ease individuals. Users can access grief-focused podcasts, workshops, and retreats to assist them in their journey of healing. (Grief Refuge, 2019).
• Ahead: Ahead-app.com provides employers with tips to assist employees during periods of grief by developing goals while coping and learning techniques to change problematic grief-related behaviors in the workplace (Ahead, 2025).
• What’s Your Grief: This web-based organization offers online support for grievers and grief professionals through https://whatsyourgrief.com. It provides a wide range of resources and continuing educational materials for professionals including webinars, podcasts, live events, and networking opportunities (What's Your Grief, 2014).
• Lost and Found Grief Center: https://lostandfoundozarks.com/grief-at-work-companies-support-employees/ This center is dedicated to educating employers on navigating bereavement in their workplace by breaking down assumptions and integrating support into the workplace (Lost and Found Grief Center, 2025).

Strengthening Resilience and Well-being

Career practitioners are vital in supporting professionals impacted by grief. By integrating compassionate guidance, practical resources, and supportive interventions, they can help clients navigate workplace demands while strengthening emotional and professional resilience as well as mental well-being in times of loss. Looking ahead, continued attention to grief-responsive practice can help nurture workplaces where compassion and productivity coexist, empowering grieving employees to prosper through, and beyond, personal loss.

References

Ahead. (2025). Ahead app. https://ahead-app.com 

American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text rev.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787 

Batista, M. P. P., Rebelo, J. E., Carvalho, R. T., Almeida, M. H. M., & Lancman, S. (2019). Widow’s perception of their marital relationship and its influence on their restoration‐oriented everyday occupations in the first six months after the death of the spouse: A thematic analysis. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 66(6), 700–710. https://doi.org/10.1111/1440-1630.12609 

Dewhurst, F., Turner, R., Barrett, L., Westhead, E., Wakefield, D., & Hanratty, B. (2025). Bereavement Training in the Workplace, Can it Help Bridge the Grief Support Gap? A Qualitative Evaluation of Employers’ and Employees’ Views. OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying. https://doi.org/10.1177/00302228251345033                                    

Gilbert, S. L., Dimoff, J. K., Brady, J. M., Macleod, R., & McPhee, T. (2023). Pregnancy loss: A qualitative exploration of an experience stigmatized in the workplace. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 142, 103848. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2023.103848 

Grief Refuge. (2019). Grief Refuge. https://griefrefuge.com 

Lost & Found Grief Center. (n.d.). Grief at work: How companies can support employees. https://lostandfoundozarks.com/grief-at-work-companies-support-employees/ 

Raitio, K., Kaunonen, M., & Aho, A. L. (2015). Evaluating a bereavement follow-up intervention for grieving mothers after the death of a child. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 29(3), 510–520. https://doi.org/10.1111/scs.12183 

Wade, M. E. (2026). Diagnosis ethics in career counseling and coaching. In J. Curry & J. Manton (Eds.) The Mental Health and Career Development Nexus: A Framework for the Role and Function of Career Practitioners. National Career Development Association.

Willi, N., Pancoast, A., Drikaki, I., Gu, X., Gillanders, D., & Finucane, A. (2024). Practitioner perspectives on the use of acceptance and commitment therapy for bereavement support: A qualitative study. BMC Palliative Care, 23, Article 59. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12904-024-01390-x 

Wilson, D. M., Punjani, S., Song, Q., & Low, G. (2019). A study to understand the impact of bereavement grief on the workplace. OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying, 83(2), 003022281984641. https://doi.org/10.1177/0030222819846419 

What’s Your Grief. (n.d.). What’s your Grief. https://whatsyourgrief.com 

Padraig Hughes works for Acenda Integrated Health in South Jersey as a psychiatric emergency screener and has experience working as an adult partial care and residential counselor. He is a graduate of Rowan University, and currently a graduate student in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at The College of New Jersey. After graduation, Padraig will be seeking LPC licensure and is looking to work with individuals from marginalized populations.

Ali Trovillion, is a graduate student in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at The College of New Jersey. She founded The Fund Racing Alliance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting physical and mental well-being through endurance events and community engagement. Ali is currently pursuing LPC licensure and is a passionate advocate for accessible mental health care. She can be reached at trovillion.ali@gmail.com