Family Loss
Working with an organisation that relies heavily on its website content for sales, one of the key contributors suffered a sudden personal loss and found themselves not only without a beloved family member, but the person who took care of their children.
What Happened
After dealing with the initial loss the employee attempted to return to work, but the shock and family impact was so large they were unable to cope with their work.
How Thrived HR Helped
By starting a dialogue immediately with the employee it was possible to understand the impact of their circumstances and identify the mental toll this had taken upon them. They were urged to visit their GP who signed them off sick for 2 weeks. This gave them the opportunity to recover and rest and enabled them to feel mentally stronger and able to cope. A weekly check in reassured them that all was taken care of at work. After 3 weeks and return to work interview, a phased return was implemented. An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) was available, so they could speak to trained counsellors.
Services We Used
The Protect service can be used to support your staff through absence and return to work.
Results/Outcome
With the advice and communication skills of HR, the employee was able to return after a short period of time, feeling ready to continue with their work, knowing they had the long term back up of an EAP. The company had a Bereavement Policy which entitled the employee to a week’s leave following the death of a close family member. Their Sickness Policy paid 2 week’s sickness payments in full up to 3 weeks for staff members with more than 3 years’ service. After that time the sick pay reverted to statutory sick pay (SSP). Neither the employee or employer were subject to a lengthy drawn out absence.