This year Dying Matters is focusing on Dying Matters at Work, so it is an opportunity for organisations and teams to look at how they support their employees, and each other, through grief, caring responsibilities, or a life-limiting illness.

 Stigma around grieving, and a lack of understanding about 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.   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.

57% of employees will have experienced a bereavement in the last five years and every day, more than 600 people in the UK quit work to look after older and disabled relatives.  And yet, fewer than one in five managers feel confident supporting someone they manage with a bereavement (Hospice UK, 2023)

 Here at Pembridge Hospice we often support people affected by life-limiting illness to talk through the impact that their illness, or their loved-one’s illness, is having on their work-life.  We sometimes help people prepare for talking to their employers, and we provide counselling to support people in coming to terms with having to stop work, or with having to juggle work and caring responsibilities.

As hospice workers, and as employees ourselves, we are really pleased that Dying Matters is focusing this year on the workplace and we share Hospice UK’s vision to create a compassionate society where we are comfortable facing the realities of dying, death and grief.  But talking about this can be hard, especially with colleagues, so this Dying Matters Awareness Week, why not watch Hospice UK’s Compassionate Employers webinar entitled ‘How to Talk about Death at Work’ – a webinar that will provide practical advice on how to start workplace conversations on this often-taboo subject.  The webinar takes place on Thursday 11th May 2023, 11.30 am – 12.30 pm.

And why not sign-up to Hospice UK’s Compassionate Employers email list to get bereavement and wellbeing support resources for you and your colleagues, and first access to webinars.  Past webinars that you can now watch include: ‘Death In Service’ and ‘Bereavement At Work’.