Help your organisation respond to grief with confidence, compassion and consistency
Grief affects every workplace. Whether an employee has lost a loved one, a colleague has died, or a team is supporting someone through bereavement, HR professionals often play a central role in helping organisations respond with compassion while balancing legal, practical and operational responsibilities.
Yet many HR teams receive little formal training in bereavement support. Questions such as What should we say?, How do we support someone returning to work?, and What should our bereavement policy include? are common.
Our workplace bereavement training and practical Grief@Work toolkits are designed to help HR professionals build compassionate, grief-informed workplaces where employees feel supported and managers feel confident.
“One in five people who experience bereavement leave their job, either voluntarily or involuntarily, following their loss.” – Good Life, Death, Grief
Why Bereavement Training Matters for HR Professionals
Bereavement is one of the few experiences almost every employee will face during their working life. While grief is deeply personal, its impact is often felt in the workplace through changes in concentration, confidence, wellbeing, communication and performance.
HR professionals are frequently responsible for guiding managers, developing policies, supporting returning employees and ensuring organisations respond consistently and compassionately. Yet many organisations have limited guidance in place, leaving managers unsure what to say or how best to support someone who is grieving.
Bereavement training helps HR professionals move beyond simply having a policy. It provides practical knowledge, compassionate communication skills and evidence-based approaches that help organisations create psychologically safe workplaces where employees feel supported throughout their grief.
Common Bereavement Situations HR Professionals Encounter
HR teams regularly support organisations through situations such as:
- Supporting employees following the death of a loved one.
- Advising managers on compassionate conversations.
- Planning a phased or flexible return to work.
- Developing or reviewing bereavement policies.
- Supporting teams after the death of a colleague.
- Managing workload adjustments during bereavement.
- Signposting employees to appropriate support.
- Creating a compassionate workplace culture around grief.
Many managers and HR teams want to support grieving employees but report feeling uncertain about what to say or do, highlighting the need for practical workplace guidance.
Did you know?
- One in five bereaved employees leave their job following their loss, either voluntarily or involuntarily.
- More than half (56%) of employees say they would consider leaving an employer if they were treated poorly following a bereavement.
- Many managers want to support grieving employees but feel uncertain about what to say or do.
- Practical guidance and training can help organisations respond with greater confidence and consistency.
Our Bereavement Training for HR Professionals
What you’ll learn
Our workplace bereavement resources help HR professionals build the knowledge and confidence needed to support grieving employees and managers.
You’ll explore topics including:
- Understanding how grief may affect employees at work.
- Recognising the diverse ways people respond to bereavement.
- Supporting compassionate workplace conversations.
- Developing effective bereavement policies.
- Planning supportive return-to-work conversations.
- Helping managers feel more confident.
- Creating grief-aware workplace cultures.
- Knowing when and how to signpost additional support.
Start exploring your training options
Use this form to tell us a little about your training needs. You’ll receive our Training Brochure + Indicative Pricing immediately – on screen and straight to your inbox.
Online Bereavement Training
Whether you’re looking to improve your organisation’s bereavement policy, support managers or build greater confidence across your workplace, our online, evidence-based resources provide practical solutions.
Formulating Grief: Psychological Models
An evidence-based introduction to grief and bereavement that helps HR professionals understand how grief affects people and how compassionate support can make a meaningful difference.
Ideal for: HR professionals wanting to build confidence and understanding before implementing workplace support.
Bereavement Policy + Manager Support Toolkit
Develop a compassionate and consistent organisational response to bereavement.
This practical toolkit includes:
- A comprehensive 21-page workplace guide.
- Two editable bereavement policy templates.
- Practical manager checklists.
- Guidance on compassionate communication and confidentiality.
- Return-to-work recommendations.
- UK workplace and legal guidance.
- Four expert video guides on grief and supportive conversations.
Ideal for: HR teams reviewing or developing their bereavement policy.
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Product on sale
Bereavement Policy + Manager Support ToolkitOriginal price was: £59.00.£39.00Current price is: £39.00.
Manager Conversation Toolkit
Help managers feel more confident supporting grieving employees.
The toolkit includes practical conversation guidance covering:
- What to say (and what to avoid).
- Open questions and supportive check-ins.
- Conversation examples.
- Boundaries and confidentiality.
- Supporting employees without trying to “fix” grief.
- Four short expert-led training videos.
Ideal for: Organisations wanting to equip managers with practical communication skills.
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Product on sale
Manager Conversation ToolkitOriginal price was: £59.00.£39.00Current price is: £39.00.
Return-to-Work Toolkit
This toolkit helps organisations support employees with confidence through:
- Return-to-work planning.
- Phased return guidance.
- Workplace adjustment ideas.
- Manager checklists.
- Conversation prompts.
- Guidance on workload, flexibility and ongoing wellbeing.
- Four expert video guides.
Ideal for: HR professionals supporting employees returning after bereavement leave.
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Product on saleManager Conversation ToolkitOriginal price was: £59.00.£39.00Current price is: £39.00.
Why Choose The Loss Foundation?
The Loss Foundation is the UK’s only charity dedicated solely to supporting people bereaved by cancer.
Our training combines:
- Clinical psychology expertise.
- Contemporary grief research.
- Practical workplace guidance.
- Real-world experience supporting bereaved individuals and organisations.
- Evidence-based resources designed to help workplaces become more compassionate and grief-informed.
Our approach focuses on practical action – helping organisations create environments where employees feel supported and managers feel equipped to respond confidently.
Bereavement Training for HR Professionals – FAQs
Yes. Our resources are designed for HR teams, People professionals, Employee Experience leads, Wellbeing leads and anyone responsible for supporting employees through bereavement.
Absolutely. Several of our toolkits have been specifically developed to help managers feel more confident supporting grieving employees.
Yes. They can be adapted for charities, SMEs, large organisations and public sector employers.
No. Our Bereavement Policy + Manager Support Toolkit includes editable templates and practical guidance to help organisations develop or review their approach.
Yes. Alongside our online resources, we also provide workplace bereavement training tailored to organisations and teams. Contact our team to learn more.
Related Training
You may also be interested in:
- Bereavement Training for Nurses
- Bereavement Training for Healthcare Professionals
- Bereavement Training for NHS Staff
- Bereavement Training for Midwives
- Bereavement Training for Palliative Care Staff
- Bereavement Training for Hospice Staff
Written and Reviewed by
Dr Erin Hope Thompson MBE
Founder, The Loss Foundation | Clinical Psychologist | Bereavement Specialist
This page has been written and clinically reviewed by Dr Erin Hope Thompson MBE, a Clinical Psychologist specialising in grief and bereavement.
Dr Thompson is the Founder of The Loss Foundation, the UK’s only charity dedicated solely to supporting people bereaved by cancer. She has spent nearly two decades supporting bereaved individuals, developing evidence-based bereavement services and workplace training for organisations across the UK.
Last clinically reviewed: June 2026
