Yesterday, I learned of the passing of a friend, Robert Gulomb, the beloved husband of Livia Barndollar – the former President of the Connecticut Bar Association, and a friend and mentor as well. Robert passed away peacefully after a long illness.
- Are your bereavement policies established? If so, are they non-discriminatory?
- What practices do you have to help the grieving worker communicate with colleagues? And do you have an employee assistance program that you can refer employees to?
- How can you help co-workers express their sympathy, particularly if the loss is actually in the workplace?
- How do you help the bereaved employee and his or her supervisor deal with any lingering productivity issues?
None of this is easy.
Usually, for immediate family members, many employers will provide employees two-three days off with pay, and no pay for any additional time, unless employees arrange to use personal days or vacation time. How you define “immediate family member” is up to the particular employer, but make sure that it takes into account the changes that have been made in Connecticut for same-sex marriages.
Sail on, Robert. May his memory be for a blessing.