The C.A.R.E. model of employee bereavement support

Abstract

Virtually every employee will experience bereavement and grief at some point in their careers, but organizations are often ill-prepared to support grieving employees. Little empirical work has been conducted on the experience of grief in the workplace, and this study answers calls for research on the subject. We interviewed bereaved employees (N = 14) who continued to work full-time. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis conducted by three independent coders. The results suggested four key themes that characterized effective bereavement support in the workplace and that together comprise the C.A.R.E. model of bereavement support-vis: (1) communication, (2) accommodation, (3) recognition of the loss, and (4) emotional support. The results provide insight into critical ways that employers, leaders, and coworkers can support grieving employees. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).