by Jack Junier

Created on: November 24, 2008

Receiving news that one of your employees has passed away is one of the most shocking situations a manager can expect to handle. In very short order, you will have to reconcile your feelings for that employee, both as a person and as a member of your team, as well as responding to your employee's family and working with your staff. Your staff will look to you for guidance in this difficult time, and you must stand up to the task of leading them through it.

Your responsibilities in the event of an employee's death are threefold: interacting with the family of the deceased employee, working with your staff and coordinating funeral services, and dealing with your Human Resources department..

*Talking with Family

Your first order of business with the family is the condolence call. You should make this call from a private setting, as there is information you'll need to obtain before you meet with your staff to break the news. First and foremost, offer your sincere condolences to the family member you reach. Explain that your employee's passing will have a profound impact on the rest of your team members. If you have suggestions for how you or your staff may be of assistance, offer those ideas at this time. Otherwise, provide your contact information - preferably your office, home, and cellular numbers, as well as your office e-mail address - and offer your assistance if anything comes up with which you can help.

Next, you need to get details about the funeral services. Ask when and where they will take place. Follow this up with a question about whether co-workers will be welcome at the services; never assume that you will be, as many families prefer small, private ceremonies to mark the passing of a loved one.

Make sure you know before you reach out to your employee's family what will be required for your Human Resources office to process final paperwork. This will usually involve a copy of the death certificate, and the name and address of a person to whom final monies owed can be sent. When you ask for this information from the family member, provide the secure fax number of your Human Resources office for its delivery, unless they prefer to receive this information by mail.

Finally, ask the family member if there are any details of the employee's passing that they would like withheld from staff. This is an especially important question in the case of suicides, when family members may not want that much personal information to be shared with people at large.

*Talking

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>