Funeral Assistance in Australian Workplaces | Support for Employers and Employees
Grieving the loss of a loved one is challenging, and balancing work responsibilities during such times can be overwhelming. Employers play a crucial role in supporting their employees through bereavement. This guide outlines how Australian workplaces can provide effective funeral assistance and bereavement support.
Understanding Bereavement Leave in Australia
Under the National Employment Standards, employees are entitled to:
- 2 days of paid compassionate leave per occasion for full-time and part-time employees.
- 2 days of unpaid compassionate leave for casual employees.
This leave can be taken when:
- An immediate family member dies or suffers a life-threatening illness or injury.
- A miscarriage occurs.
Employers may request reasonable evidence, such as a death or funeral notice.
Develop an effective funeral and bereavement policy
The standard bereavement leave in many workplaces is one to three days. Bereavement leave allows employees time to express their immediate grief, but it may not give employees enough time to deal with the difficult and emotional process of planning a funeral.
However, we do not believe standard bereavement leave is enough to support employees coping with loss and having to deal with the emotional stress of planning a funeral. Employers of choice are encouraged to develop an effective funeral and bereavement policy which should include the following supports for your employees.
Offer Funeral Planning Assistance: Coping with a loss and planning a funeral is one of the most difficult things we will ever be asked to do. Partner with eziFunerals to deliver a Funeral Planning Assistance, program, as an employee benefit.
Provide Paid leave: Figure out how much paid leave you can offer. A full week is a realistic choice. Decide whether the leave can be modified in specific situations, such as an employee needing to travel to a funeral. Take into account the relationship of the deceased to the bereaved employee.
Recognize that the death of a loved one outside the immediate family may be equally upsetting, e.g. the loss of a grandparent. Respect cultural differences. Depending on the culture, the traditions around mourning (the public expression of grief) may take more time.
Offer Extended Unpaid leave: Provide job guarantees for employees who take an extended leave.
Allow Vacation leave: Make it easy for grieving employees to add vacation leave to their funeral and bereavement leave. Allow coworkers to give vacation days to bereaved colleagues.
Offer an emergency loan program: Offer no cost loans to employees for funeral related expenses, such as travel or funerals.
Provide an Official recognition of loss: Acknowledge the loss with an official gesture, such as a memorial event at work, a floral arrangement for the funeral or a charitable donation.
Offer Grief counselling: Offer grief counselling through an employee assistance program or a community organisation, such as a hospice.
Ensure Equitable and flexible treatment: Ensure your funeral and bereavement policy allows for each employee’s needs and treats all employees fairly.
Lead by example and acknowledge grief: As an employer or supervisor, you set the tone. Your response will make a lasting impression not only on bereaved employees but also on their co-workers. The compassion and respect you offer will be returned in the form of employee loyalty and retention.
Support grieving employees while they are on leave: Offer your sympathy and ask if there is anything you can do to help. Explain your organisation’s funeral and bereavement policy, if there is one.
Stay in touch: Assure employees that everything is all right at work and that their work is being looked after. Keep them in the loop if it seems appropriate but don’t overwhelm them with details. Help employees access grief counselling through an employee assistance program or community agency. Ask what the employee would like you to say to co-workers about the loss.
Engage with other staff, if appropriate: Include a grief counsellor who can answer questions and provide support. Address any concerns staff may have, such as how to cover a bereaved co-worker’s duties.
Continue your support after employees return to work: Be patient. Grief has no timeline and people grieve in their own way. Offer flexible work arrangements, such as reduced hours, fewer duties, job sharing, telecommuting or time off when necessary. Ease up on deadlines where possible or bring in extra help.
Ensure supervisors understand that bereaved employees may have trouble coping and may need to leave the workplace on short notice. Have supervisors stay in close contact with them, at least for the first few days after their return to work.
Meet regularly with bereaved employees (and their supervisor, if applicable) to be sure they are getting the support they need. Watch for signs that their grief has become self-destructive, such as physical changes, signs of substance abuse, isolation or feelings they can’t manage. Step in to offer counselling or other support as appropriate. Provide a quiet place where all staff can go to distress and regenergise during the work day.
Help co-workers offer support: Allow coworkers time off to attend the funeral or memorial service, if appropriate. Offer grief support training to supervisors and staff, if appropriate.
eziFunerals: Partnering with Workplaces
eziFunerals offers tailored solutions to assist workplaces in supporting employees during bereavement:
- Funeral Planning Assistance: Helping employees navigate funeral arrangements.
- Educational Resources: Providing materials on coping with loss and supporting others.
- Customizable Support Programs: Developing workplace-specific bereavement support initiatives.
By partnering with eziFunerals, employers can enhance their support offerings and demonstrate a commitment to employee well-being.
Get Started
To learn more about implementing funeral assistance in your workplace:
- Visit: eziFunerals Workplace Support
- Contact: 1300 236 402 or support@ezifunerals.com.au
Support your employees when they need it most with eziFunerals.