Tuesday, November 10, 2026

Supporting Workers Through Grief and Trauma

Workers who return to work after loss are often not fully functioning. Here’s how workplaces can respond.

Our workplaces are full of individuals who are physically present but struggling psychologically due to grief, trauma, or intense stress. Some may have been on leave but have now been deemed ready to work by the employer or benefits company and are back but not fully functioning.

Grief and trauma greatly impact cognitive function, which impacts an individual’s ability to work safely and effectively.

“Grief can disrupt the diverse cognitive domains of memory, decision-making, visuospatial function, attention, word fluency, and the speed of information processing,” says neurologist Dr. Lisa Shulman.

Yet workers are often expected to continue functioning at peak performance no matter their life circumstances, even while their brain is under intense stress and pressure. When they can’t function at peak performance, it’s not a case of failure to focus or failure to prioritize work. Humans are not robots. They cannot compartmentalize their lives. The trauma of a sudden death, marital breakdown, or the terminal diagnosis for a loved one cannot be forgotten while on the job. This is not weakness. It’s part of what makes us human.

But it is something that workers and managers need to be aware of and adapt for.

From a safety perspective, managers, coworkers, and the grieving worker themself needs to be thinking about how emotional strain impacts one’s ability to recognize and mitigate hazards, make sound decisions, follow organizational rules, and carry out tasks safely.

From an operational perspective, everyone in a workplace needs to recognize that emotional strain impacts one’s ability to function efficiently and feel engaged at work.

Workplaces need to support workers and avoid adding to cognitive and emotional overload during times of intense emotional strain.

7 Ways Coworkers and Managers Can Support Grieving Workers

1.   Redistribute tasks that may be too stressful or complex for a struggling worker at this time. But keep the worker in the loop. Don’t do it behind their back or you risk making them feel disrespected or infantilized.
2.   Be understanding and patient when someone makes a mistake or takes longer to do their task.
3.   Avoid information overload and write tasks/processes down to help mitigate against brain fog.
4.   Offer practical help. Offer to drop off a meal or help with a nonwork-related chore—even months later.
5.   Provide flexibility where possible so that a worker can take time to attend counselling or take a day off when they are really struggling (especially around important dates and anniversaries).
6.   Check in meaningfully. Take the time to truly listen. Do not interrupt, try to problem-solve, or cheer up the grieving worker.
7.   Think long term. Remember that grief and trauma don’t go away after a few weeks or months.

Sources: americanbrainfoundation.org, apa.org, ohscanada.com, workplacestrategiesformentalhealth.com

Supporting Workers Through Grief and Trauma

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