A fifth (21%) of respondents to MetLife's survey reported that making decisions while grieving added stress to an already difficult time, and 14% reported that funeral planning had impacted the way they do their job.
The MetLife team commissioned polling provider Censuswide to survey 2,003 UK consumers who had experienced a recent bereavement, between 29 November and 3 December 2024. The most recent findings from this data were published on 24 April.
We asked commentators whether HR could do more to support bereaved employees.
As well as signposting employees to any available support, Charlotte O’Brien, MetLife UK's head of employee benefits, advised leaders to have “a designated compassionate contact who can handle grief-related matters with care and discretion”.
Catherine Best, director of UK operations for grief recovery education provider The Grief Institute, underscored the importance of having someone on hand who employees can to talk to.
She reminded HR magazine: “Grieving is not just limited to bereavement, it also includes divorce, separation, redundancy, job loss, a significant health diagnosis, the death of a pet, and family difficulties. Having a place or space that employees can go to when they need to talk to someone is really key (whether that be virtual or in person), whilst also ensuring that that person who is offering that service is suitably trained to do so.
Read more: Dealing with overwhelm during grief
“If an employer does not have an employee assistance programme (EAP) or on-site support service, have recommendations available to signpost employees to, for example an organisation that offers specific support and guidance for somebody who is grieving.”
Around half (55%) of employees said it took up to eight weeks to feel back to normal at work after a bereavement, according to the MetLife team, which promoted that research finding on 3 March 2025.
A fifth (21%) of adults reported that having more time off work to grieve following a bereavement would have helped them at work; this proportion had increased from 15% of respondents who reported the same in 2023.
Consistently ensuring that staff are aware that leaders care about supporting them through grief, is important, explained Natalia Pazzaglia, founder of workplace grief training provider Legacy Compass.
Speaking to HR magazine, she said: “Let employees know that these topics are already on the agenda of the leadership team. When a crisis hits, it helps if these are not brand-new conversations. Another key strategy is fostering a closer relationship between managers and employees. This could include one-to-one check-ins, or the delegation of that support to external providers.
“Leadership teams need to decide upfront whether a manager can reasonably handle the line between professional and personal, and when it’s appropriate to delegate these matters to an external provider.”
Read more: Back to basics...bereavement support
Offering flexible ways of working and bereavement counselling can also support grieving employees, added Julia Lyons, senior clinical lead at mental health services provider Onebright.
She told HR magazine: “It may be helpful for the individual to have more time off work than the contracted compassionate leave. Be flexible about this, to help the individual, if that is what they require. Talk to the individual about making adaptations to their daily tasks and workplace setup, to help the individual continue working. You could offer 100% remote working, flexible working hours, or fewer external meetings.
“Bereavement counselling can be helpful in the initial six months. If an individual is struggling with engaging with their life, discuss a referral to psychological therapy. This can be provided through an employee assistance programme, or directly through a workplace mental healthcare provider who can provide assessments and therapy services as and when individuals need it.”
