Managing Grief In The Workplace

Susana Fonticoba, widowed at 42, talks about grieving her husband’s death and her return to work. Sitting among a large group of co-workers, she struggled with balancing her need for privacy and the many inappropriate personal questions and comments that she endured. Susana’s discussion highlights that some people in grief want to be comforted and want to share. And as in Susana’s case, others prefer to grieve privately. She offers a number of suggestions for speaking to a grieving person that helps them feel comforted and welcomed back into the workplace as a fully functioning member of the team.