Jun 23, 2026
There is no easy way to navigate grief, especially when work doesn’t stop. For Stephen Woods, the loss was both personal and professional. His son-in-law, Ryan Jennings, died after helping his two oldest children reach safety when they were caught in a powerful current during a family vacation.
The tragedy left Woods mourning a family member, but also a key leader at his company. For five years, Jennings had served as senior vice president of clients at Woods’ medical marketing firm in Maine.
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“When you lose somebody you considered your son and somebody who was a business leader in your business, you’ve got grieving family members, you’ve got grieving employees and you have grieving clients,” Woods told USA Today.
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While Woods faced an extraordinary loss, grief in the workplace is far from uncommon. According to bereavement support company Bereave, roughly one in nine U.S. employees experiences the death of a loved one each year.
But are companies doing enough to support their employees through these difficult times?
Grief doesn’t follow a schedule
Grief is something nearly everyone experiences at some point, but time off to deal with it isn’t guaranteed for most American workers. Just five states — California, Illinois, Maryland, Oregon and Washington — require employers to provide leave after the death of a loved one.
Even when employers do offer bereavement leave, the amount of time can vary. The International Foundation’s Paid Leave in the Workplace: 2024 Survey Report found workers receive an average of one to five days off, depending on their relationship to the deceased.
But grief doesn’t end when an employee returns to work. Dr. Kyle Elliott, a career and executive coach for tech leaders at CaffeinatedKyle.com, said many employers still treat grief as a short-term scheduling issue rather than an ongoing reality.
“They offer three or five bereavement days, the employee comes back from leave, and then everyone acts like the matter is finished,” he told Moneywise. “Grief doesn’t work on a calendar. Someone can look fine in week one and fall apart months or even years later, once everyone else has moved on.”
More than an emotional burden
Grief doesn’t just affect employees emotionally — it can also affect their performance at work. Support during grief is becoming a bigger consideration for workers evaluating potential employers. In the New York Life Foundation’s latest State of Grief Report, 76% of respondents said bereavement benefits were important when considering a new job.
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According to Dr. Elliott, the effects of grief often show up in ways employers may not immediately recognize.
“Your concentration suffers, your memory slips, and your decision-making slows down when you’re hit with grief,” he said. “As a result, even top performers may find themselves missing deadlines, losing focus or struggling with tasks that once came easily.
The consequences can be costly. Grief-related challenges cost U.S. employers an estimated $75 billion each year, much of it tied to lost productivity and employee disengagement, according to estimates cited by SHRM.
But the impact goes beyond missed work. “It also shows up emotionally and physically. Exhaustion, irritability, and difficulty being around others are all normal, expected parts of grieving,” Dr. Elloit explained.
Support shouldn’t stop after leave ends
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While bereavement leave can give employees time away from work, experts say support shouldn’t end when they return to the office.
Mark Debus, Clinical Director of Behavioral Health at Sedgwick, said flexibility is one of the most effective ways employers can help grieving workers transition back into their roles.
“Returning to work after a loss is a process,” he told Moneywise. “Employees often benefit from temporary workload adjustments, flexible schedules, remote work options when feasible, and clear prioritization of responsibilities during the transition.”
Debus also recommends making mental-health resources easy to access, whether through employee assistance programs (EAPs), counseling services or other workplace benefits. Beyond specific policies, he said companies should focus on building a workplace culture where employees feel comfortable talking about challenges and asking for help. Most importantly, support should continue long after bereavement leave ends.
“A simple weekly or monthly check-in can make a big difference and show that the organization recognizes grief doesn’t end when bereavement leave does,” he said.
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Victoria Vesovski is a Toronto-based staff reporter at Moneywise covering personal finance, lifestyle and trending news. She holds degrees from the University of Toronto and New York University, and her work has appeared on platforms including Yahoo Finance, MSN Money and Apple News.
