Grief at Work: Leading and Living Through Loss

By Jonah Price | Organizational Psychologist

When Grief Walks Into the Office

Loss doesn’t wait for weekends. It follows us to inboxes, meetings, and deadlines. Most workplaces still treat grief as a personal issue — something to “get over” privately before returning to normal. But grief doesn’t clock out.

If you’ve ever tried to write an email while holding back tears, or lead a meeting after a funeral, you know the disconnect. Work goes on, but your mind doesn’t.

Grief at work is not a failure of professionalism. It’s a reminder that we are still human, even under fluorescent light.

The Science of Loss and Productivity

Grief changes how the brain works. It disrupts concentration, working memory, and decision-making. Emotional energy is consumed by processing absence — leaving less available for routine tasks.

Psychologists call this cognitive load, and in grief, it spikes. Simple things feel heavier. Forgetfulness increases. Motivation wavers. It’s not a lack of discipline; it’s the mind rerouting itself around pain.

Understanding this helps organizations move from judgment to compassion.

What Managers Can Do

1. Acknowledge, Don’t Fix

Avoid platitudes. A simple “I’m sorry for your loss” is enough. Grief doesn’t need advice — it needs presence.

2. Offer Structure, Not Pressure

Routine can be grounding, but only if flexible. Ask what tasks feel manageable and which need delegation. Predictability soothes a nervous system in chaos.

3. Normalize Emotional Space

A grieving person may tear up during a check-in or need a quiet moment. Normalize it. Let empathy be part of professionalism.

4. Support the Team, Too

Colleagues often want to help but don’t know how. Encourage small gestures: meals, messages, shared workload. Collective support prevents isolation on both sides.

When You’re the One Grieving

If you’re grieving at work, self-compassion becomes a survival skill. You won’t perform at 100%, and that’s okay. Focus on doing one meaningful thing per day.

Ask for structure when you need it, solitude when you don’t. Grief has rhythms — some days productive, others raw. Both are normal.

Use gentle anchors: morning light, water breaks, slow walks between tasks. Your nervous system heals through consistency, not force.

Why Organizations Need a Grief Policy

A formal grief policy signals that compassion is not optional. It might include:

• Flexible bereavement leave beyond immediate family.

• Staggered reintegration after return.

• Training managers in grief literacy.

• Offering counseling or coaching resources.

Workplaces that honor loss retain trust — and trust is the real foundation of productivity.

Connection Cue

Grief does not end. It reshapes. The workplace can be one of the few environments where people learn that it’s possible to function and still feel.

You don’t heal by forgetting. You heal by being allowed to remember and still belong.

Author Bio

Jonah Price is an organizational psychologist who helps companies build emotionally intelligent workplaces. His work focuses on leadership, grief literacy, and the intersection of mental health and management culture.

*Guest contributions reflect the personal experiences and perspectives of their authors. While every piece is reviewed for quality and respect, the ideas shared may differ from the views of Josh Dolin. Readers are encouraged to take what resonates and leave the rest.