Workplace Grief Costs Businesses Billions Annually, Exposing Unsustainable Policies

Companies Rethink Grief Policies in Changing Workplace

As the world grapples with compounding losses, from the pandemic's ongoing toll to the climate crisis, companies are recognizing the need to support employees navigating grief and trauma. A new report from the Harvard Business School reveals that 87% of workers are dealing with significant bereavement, whether from COVID-19 deaths or other profound life changes.

The shift marks a profound transformation in workplace policies over the past five years. Tech giants have led the charge, with companies like Google and Microsoft expanding bereavement leave and mental health resources. But the trend is spreading globally, with Japan at the forefront of integrating grief support into corporate culture.

"Organizations have finally understood that ignoring employee grief is not just inhumane, but economically unsustainable," said Nicoletta Cinotti, a psychologist and psychotherapist featured in the report. The Workplace Grief Index found that unresolved grief costs businesses billions annually in lost productivity and higher healthcare expenses.

The pandemic exacerbated a growing mental health crisis, with workers grappling with a cascade of losses – from the death of loved ones to the unraveling of career paths and life plans. As a result, traditional linear models of grief no longer apply, experts say. Employees are experiencing "layered grief," navigating the demise of the "myth of infinite growth" alongside the climate emergency and the rapid obsolescence of skills.

"This is about much more than bereavement leave," said David Kessler, a grief expert who consulted on the report. "Companies have to learn a new 'corporate grammar of grief' to support staff in meaningful ways."

Leading firms are heeding the call. Microsoft now offers 20 days of paid leave for the loss of an immediate family member, up from just three days previously. Google has rolled out grief counseling, support groups, and expanded mental health benefits. In Japan, where workplaces have long played a central role in employees' lives, companies are integrating mourning rituals and communal grieving into their operations.

The business imperative is clear. Unresolved grief saps productivity, drives up healthcare costs, and fuels employee turnover. But Cinotti emphasizes the moral obligation as well. "We spend most of our waking hours at work. Employers have a duty of care to help people through life's most difficult transitions."

As the world of work continues its radical transformation, the ability to navigate collective grief may prove a key competitive advantage. The companies that master the "grammar of grief" are likely to emerge stronger, more resilient, and better equipped to support their most valuable asset – their people.