It is a tricky situation returning to work after a huge loss because at work, life 'goes on'. As your entire world is crumbling and falling apart, everyone else's world is continuing as they always have, regardless of what's happened to you. It's hard to join them in that world when you feel so empty.

Bereavement and baby loss is an inevitable part of life and many organisations recognise the importance of supporting employees during such times. By fostering an environment of understanding and providing adequate support, workplaces benefit from improved employee engagement, well-being and mental health outcomes.

What can you do to improve bereavement support in the workplace?

• Don't be afraid to share your story. This encourages others to share theirs too and creates a more supportive and open culture in talking about loss.
• Set up a committee or 'grief/child loss' café. There are more bereaved parents out there than you think and everyone needs support from time to time.
• Review your policies. Is there a baby loss policy? This is best practice in today's world. If not, lobby your HR department to create one.
• Create a befriending network to provide one-to-one help to parents who will experience loss in the future.
• Find out if your company invests in empathetic leadership training or find out how much they spend on supporting leaders to support their teams in times of crisis.
• Raise money for charity through sponsored work events, which all helps with team building.
• Does your company offer flexible working in times of crisis? This is one of the greatest support offerings an organisation an offer its employee going through a bereavement.

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About the author

Harley Cunningham

The information on this page has been authored by Harley Cunningham, who experienced the heartbreaking loss of her two-year-old twin son, James, to bronchopneumonia in 2021.

When Harley returned to work, she realised there was a significant lack of support for bereaved employees.

Determined to make a positive impact, she shared her story and developed a new bereavement support strategy to help others in similar situations to ensure that employee needs are met with compassionate and effective support. She now works with the HR team to bridge the gap between employee needs and company support.

We asked Harley to reflect on her own experience and share her tips and recommendations for returning to work after the loss of a baby or babies. You can reach out to contact her by email.