What are the benefits of working during bereavement?

Benefits of Working During Bereavement

Working during bereavement can provide structure, normalcy, and a sense of purpose that helps ground bereaved individuals, though the decision must balance individual grief needs with workplace demands.

Key Benefits Identified

Psychological and Emotional Grounding

Work can serve as a stabilizing force during bereavement by:

• Providing routine and structure when life feels chaotic and unpredictable 1
• Offering distraction from overwhelming grief through meaningful engagement
• Maintaining a sense of identity and competence separate from the loss
• Creating opportunities for social connection with colleagues who can provide support

Research on palliative care nurses who experienced personal bereavement found that work can be grounding and that maintaining professional roles helped them cope with their loss 1. The advice from bereaved nurses themselves emphasized that "work can be grounding" and that individuals should "do what feels right for them" 1.

Sense of Purpose and Meaning

For bereaved individuals, particularly children and adolescents, helping others through work or meaningful activity can counteract feelings of powerlessness that commonly follow loss 2. This principle extends to adults in the workplace, where contributing to something larger than oneself can provide:

• A sense of agency and control
• Validation of continued worth and capability
• Connection to pre-loss identity and goals

Social Support and Reduced Isolation

The workplace can serve as an important source of support when:

• Colleagues provide steady presence and companionship rather than attempting to "fix" the grief 3
• Managers and coworkers are empowered to be "human and humane" in their interactions 3
• The bereaved person receives acknowledgment without being defined solely by their loss

Evidence emphasizes that pivotal support needs to come from line managers, colleagues, and staff representatives rather than exclusively from specialists 3. When bereavement is treated as a specialist-only issue, it can discourage natural human support and lead to isolation.

Critical Considerations and Caveats

Individual Variability in Grief Response

Not all bereaved individuals benefit equally from working during grief. Research shows that:

• Grief work and coping strategies are highly individual 4
• Some people need time away to process their loss
• Bereaved nurses advised both "take time off" and "work can be grounding" - highlighting that different approaches work for different people 1

Risk of Complicated Grief

Several factors increase risk of poor bereavement outcomes that may be exacerbated by premature return to work:

• Sudden or unexpected death (as with COVID-19 infections) 5
• Inability to say goodbye properly correlates with post-bereavement depression and complicated grief 5
• Lack of social support and feelings of abandonment 5
• Unaddressed guilt, shame, or self-blame 2

Workplace Culture Requirements

For work to be beneficial during bereavement, the workplace must:

• Allow flexibility in duties and expectations 1
• Provide ongoing support beyond the initial return 1
• Create a culture where people feel safe being honest about their grief 1
• Avoid treating grief as something to be "resolved" quickly 6

Practical Approach for Healthcare Providers

When counseling bereaved individuals about returning to work:

1. Assess readiness indicators:

   • Can the person maintain basic self-care?
   • Are they experiencing intrusive thoughts that would impair safety or function?
   • Do they have adequate support both at work and outside work?

2. Recommend a phased approach:

   • Consider part-time or modified duties initially
   • Build in flexibility for difficult days
   • Ensure the person can take breaks when overwhelmed

3. Educate about normal grief:

   • Grief does not stop upon returning to work 1
   • Grief is a continuum, not a linear process 1
   • Emotional reactions may be triggered unexpectedly

4. Facilitate workplace communication:

   • Encourage the bereaved person to be open and honest with supervisors about their needs 1
   • Help identify a trusted colleague who can provide support
   • Discuss what level of disclosure feels comfortable

5. Monitor for complicated grief:

   • Recurring intrusive thoughts about the loss
   • Preoccupation with sorrow and ruminating behavior
   • Excessive bitterness or alienation from social contacts
   • Difficulty accepting the loss or losing perceived purpose 5

When Work May Not Be Beneficial

Work should be delayed or modified when:

• The bereaved person shows signs of complicated grief or PTSD 5, 7
• Acute distress impairs safety or judgment in safety-sensitive roles
• The workplace lacks basic support or flexibility
• The person feels pressured to return before they're ready

Individual psychotherapy has moderate strength of evidence for improving grief disorder, grief symptoms, and depression 8. Referral for professional support should be considered alongside work decisions, particularly when complicated grief is suspected.

Bottom Line

The benefit of working during bereavement depends on individual grief responses, workplace culture, and the nature of the loss. Work can provide valuable structure, purpose, and social connection when the bereaved person feels ready and the workplace is supportive. However, forcing premature return or working in an unsupportive environment can worsen outcomes. The key is flexibility, ongoing support, and honoring what feels right for each individual 1.