A person at a party asked, "What's the point of planning for the death of an employee?"
I get this question quite a bit.
Leaders and HR deem the planning for a death as:
Morbid
Unnecessary because they expect chaos
Uncomfortable because they don't know what to plan for
And I have to agree, sort of. Planning for the death of an employee is morbid, AND it is also life!
Discomfort doesn't excuse non-action.
(In planning AND in life, something I need to remember!)
The point of planning for death is not about having a rigid set of to-dos but ensuring that specific common priorities are focused on. Planning around loss is an excellent focuser for leaders who must decide what is truly important and what is not when death occurs.
Because … when there is a death, there is panic, fear, and chaos, and that leads to poor decisions that hurt the company, your employees, their well-being, and mental health.
Planning is not just about steps; it's about coordinating around the harder decisions that leaders need to make about allocating scarce resources while people are feeling panic and fear.
It's kinda like planning for your death. Most of us don't know when it's going to happen or how, but having a plan now and sharing what you'd like to happen NOW makes your death easier on those you care about.
It is pleasant. No.
Is it necessary? Yes.
Will a good basic plan:
increased employee engagement,
reduced absenteeism and presenteeism
improved employee morale
enhanced leader confidence.
increased employee retention
keep you in HR from wondering and worrying if you are doing the right thing?
Yes!
In the end, having a plan is about revenue AND caring.
It will make the lives of your employees easier when they usually get more complicated, which means less dip in productivity.
As with any business initiative, pointing people in the same direction always yields better results.
And death is no different.
Want to learn more about how to plan for loss on your team, let’s chat.
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