08/31/2026
Grief doesn’t remain outside the workplace when someone begins their day.
It may show up as exhaustion, difficulty concentrating, changes in communication, or simply the effort it takes to keep moving through familiar routines.
Leaders aren’t expected to fix someone’s grief.
But they can respond with compassion, flexibility, clear communication, and respect for the fact that healing rarely follows a predictable timeline.
I experienced this personally after my father died. When I returned to work, I was still very much in a daze and trying to navigate the grief and loss.
Things gradually improved over the days and weeks, but there was one part of my work that I found especially difficult during that time: completing assessment interpretations with my career coaching clients.
I simply didn’t have the emotional capacity to be as fully present as that work required.
Fortunately, I had a manager I felt comfortable enough with to tell that I wasn’t able to do my best work in that area at the time. Because of that trust and understanding, I was able to temporarily take those interpretations off my plate while I continued healing.
That experience has stayed with me.
Sometimes supporting an employee through grief doesn’t require having the perfect words. It may simply mean listening, creating space, and being willing to adjust when someone tells you what they need.
On National Grief Awareness Day, may we remember that creating a healthy workplace also means making room for people to be human. 💛
