We all spend much of our time at work and coworkers are a huge part of that. Employees build relationships with other staff so the death of a coworker can be as devastating as losing a loved one. This is both a professional and personal loss for each of us, our Department and the law enforcement community.

Management
It's important for managers to recognize the impact the death has had on staff. Compassionate managers will find that employees benefit from caring, flexibility and respect for their pain. Here are some ideas from ComPsych for things managers can do to assist employees who are struggling with the loss of a coworker:

• Encourage employees to express their feelings.
• Provide an "open door" policy to all staff who wish to speak about their grief.
• Encourage employees to seek outside support, including the use of the company's Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• Be on the lookout for a coworker who is having a particularly difficult time.
• Arrange a workplace memorial service to honor the departed employee(s).
• If the business permits, offer flex time and working at home options so that employees have time to grieve.
• Be compassionate to coworkers who may be experiencing a decline in productivity and a difficult time coping.

Employees
A coworker's death can be devastating for surviving employees. Everyone grieves differently; some coworkers may want to discuss the issue, while others may want to grieve privately. There are several ways ComPsych suggests employees try to cope with their grief:

• Plan a memorial service for the departed coworker.
• Be on the lookout for a coworker who is having a particularly difficult time.
• Be compassionate to fellow coworkers who may be experiencing a decline in productivity and a difficult time coping.
• If there is a new hire who is occupying the job (and possibly the desk) of the departed employee, accept and welcome this person.
• Arrange to go to the funeral and support each other.
• Plan social outings as a group to help morale.

This information is brought to us by ComPsych, our EAP provider from their Grief in the Workplace Help Sheet. More information about coping with grief in the work place can be found at www.guidanceresources.com or by contacting EAP.