Why Dying Matters at Work

Starting conversations about dying is often not as hard as you might think.

Every year, people around the country use Dying Matters Awareness Week (8th-14th May) as a moment to encouraging communities across the country to come together to talk about death, dying and grief.

This year, we want you to start that conversation at work.

Stigma around grieving, and a lack of understanding about what it means to be ill and what happens when you’re dying, mean that too many of us are struggling to cope when faced with life’s inevitable challenges.

And the workplace is no exception. 57% of employees will have experienced a bereavement in the last five years (Hospice UK, 2022) and every day, more than 600 people quit work to look after older and disabled relatives (Carers UK, 2019). And yet, fewer than one in five managers feel as comfortable as they could supporting someone they manage with a bereavement.

We spend so much of our lives at work – and we shouldn’t have to hide our experiences of death and dying from our colleagues, our peers, or our bosses. By talking to those around you, you can help us make sure that your workplace is properly set up to support people who are ill, who are caring for those around them, or who have lost someone close to them.

If Dying Matters – then it matters at work too.

We’ve rounded up a few useful resources to help you start the conversation:

1. A useful blog written by our Bereavement team at Bolton Hospice - What to say and what not to say when someone is grieving
    
2. Dying Matters is hosting a How to Talk about Death at Work webinar on Thursday 11th May, offering practical advice and tips on how to start the conversations on this often taboo subject.
    
3. Read Amber Jeffrey’s recommended book list that help us with grief and death. Amber Jeffrey is a celebrated podcast host and online community facilitator. Her work & podcast, The Grief Gang, specialises in breaking down the stigma around grief one conversation at a time.
    
4. During challenging conversations, do you ever find yourself losing focus on what’s being said? Avoiding talking about emotional topics? Or saying the wrong thing? Find out where you stand with the Compassionate Superpower online quiz – and check out tips to improve on each of the six superpower skill.
    
5. The Good Grief Festival is a community of people talking about grief in a refreshing and honest way, with virtual talks, workshops and webinars held throughout the year.

If you would like to know more about the bereavement support services Bolton Hospice offers please call us on 01204 663 066 or email our Bereavement Support Lead.