by Kat Ballew

Created on: February 13, 2010   Last Updated: February 27, 2010

When having to deal with the death of an employee, especially one that is well liked by everyone in the company, it can be very devastating. Having gone through this experience with a best friend who was also a co-worker, I know first hand that it can have a dramatic affect on the employees, and well as upper management.

This employee worked with the company for many years. She found out she had cancer, so her death, while not unexpected, still left a void. Everyone was with her every step of the way in her journey of trying to beat the odds of this disease. At a time when she lost her hair, everyone made her feel more comfortable about it, as well as when she had her chemo treatments and would come back to work afterwards, even though she felt nauseous.

When she finally went away to have an operation, she never came back. She did not make it, and it was a shock to everyone who worked with her. While everyone knew her time would come soon, it was not expected it to be at that time, for she was doing well when she left to undergo this operation.

Dealing with the death of an employee puts co-workers in a very somber mood, but in a strange way, it also brings everyone closer together. Sharing memories and offering comfort between employees and management helps in dealing with feelings of sorrow.

The company sent out a memo of her death, and offered each employee the opportunity to attend the services. There was also a dedication for her in the office, and a bulletin board of pictures and stories in memory of her.

It was hard having someone else fill her position, and hard to welcome a new employee who was hired to take over her duties. The attemp was made to change the looks of the office she occupied, such as moving the desk around and adding different things to change the scenery. While this helped, it took time to adjust to not having her there.

As a manager, it helps to be sympathetic towards such a sensitive situation, and it helps to allow the employees a time to grieve together. An hour or two of down time for employees to deal with this loss of another co-worker is something that is needed in order to come to grips with this tragedy.

It is hard when having to deal with the death of an employee, especially one who is liked and respected by everyone. However, when a place of business pulls together in a time such as this, it helps the employees to move on, and offers a newfound respect for the business.

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