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Bereavement Training in the Workplace, Can it Help Bridge the Grief Support Gap? A Qualitative Evaluation of Employers’ and Employees’ Views

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Felicity DewhurstORCiD, Dr Royce Turner, Elizabeth Westhead, Dr Donna WakefieldORCiD, Professor Barbara HanrattyORCiD

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).

Abstract

© The Author(s) 2025.Background: Bereavement is universal, whilst grief is a natural response to loss, it can have detrimental effects on physical and mental well-being. Bereavement support is not widely available, and workplaces could play a key role in providing consistent, equitable support. Aim: We explored the views of employers and employees on bereavement training in the workplace. Methods: St Oswald’s Hospice, UK, delivered bereavement training to 343 employers and employees from 105 regional and national workplaces. Purposive sampling selected 16 individuals for qualitative semi-structured interviews. Findings: Findings were organised into four themes: unique challenges faced by employees and employers after bereavement; gap in training; need for tiered, bespoke training; requirement for policy change. Bereavement training in the workplace was seen as beneficial. Conclusions: This study addresses a crucial gap in bereavement support by exploring grief training in the workplace. Policy recommendations include: in-house and external support and paid leave as standard.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Dewhurst F, Turner R, Barrett L, Westhead E, Wakefield D, Hanratty B

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying

Year: 2025

Pages: epub ahead of print

Online publication date: 28/05/2025

Acceptance date: 02/04/2018

Date deposited: 10/06/2025

ISSN (print): 0030-2228

ISSN (electronic): 1541-3764

Publisher: Sage

DOI: 10.1177/00302228251345033

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