Grief and bereavement support in the workplace

For managers, HR and coworkers who want to know what to say, what the law requires on bereavement leave, and how to support a grieving employee or team from the first call through the first year.

For: Managers and supervisors, HR professionals, team leads and coworkers in any industry, including multi-state employers.

  • 2 contact hours
  • 8 modules
  • 9 interactives
  • 3 job aids
  • Updated October 11, 2026

What you will be able to do

  • Describe how grief affects people at work and correct common myths, including the stage model, using NCI guidance.
  • Explain bereavement leave rules: the federal baseline under the FLSA and FMLA, and state laws such as California Gov. Code 12945.7, the Illinois Family Bereavement Leave Act and the Oregon Family Leave Act.
  • Use supportive words and practical help, and avoid harmful phrases and privacy breaches, when a colleague is grieving.
  • Plan a return to work with temporary adjustments, check-ins and anniversary awareness, and document leave and accommodations properly.
  • Support a team after a colleague's death, including safe messaging when a death is by suicide.
  • Respect cultural and religious mourning practices and connect grieving employees to the EAP and professional help when needed.

Learn how grief really shows up at work, why the popular five-stages model misleads, and what to say (and avoid saying) to a grieving colleague. The course explains the bereavement leave rules that matter: no federal requirement under the FLSA, how the FMLA can still apply, and state laws such as California Gov. Code 12945.7 and 12945.6, the Illinois Family Bereavement Leave Act, the Oregon Family Leave Act and Washington's paid leave for the loss of a child.

Built for managers, HR and coworkers. Cases follow a forklift operator in Pennsylvania, an accountant in Idaho, a multi-state HR generalist, a call center team lead in Oklahoma, an engineer in Tennessee, a restaurant team in Louisiana after a cook's sudden death, a hospital lab in Minnesota with three different mourning traditions, and a credit union manager in Montana.

You will plan a return to work, prepare for anniversaries, support a team after a colleague dies (including careful, safe communication when a death is by suicide), accommodate religious mourning practices and know when to point someone to the EAP or professional help. Job aids include a manager's checklist, a what-to-say pocket card and a response plan template for a colleague's death.

What you’ll be able to do Monday morning

  1. Say a simple, sincere "I'm so sorry" and ask before sharing any news of a loss.
  2. Explain every leave option, including state law where the employee works, and follow up in writing.
  3. Hold a private return-to-work conversation with temporary adjustments and a check-in date.
  4. Note a team member's anniversary, with their agreement, and check in beforehand.
  5. Use a ready response plan if a colleague dies, with safe messaging and 988 when needed.
  6. Offer the EAP number privately and make it easy to call.

Curriculum

8 modules · 31 lessons · about 2 contact hours

01How does grief show up at work?Free preview14 min
  1. Grief, bereavement and mourning: what's the difference?
  2. How grief affects work
  3. The practical load of bereavement
  4. Why the first response matters
  • Self-assessment: How ready am I to support a grieving colleague?

Diagram · In practice checklist · 2-question knowledge check

02What do common myths about grief get wrong?13 min
  1. Myth 1: Grief happens in five stages
  2. Myths about timing and recovery
  3. Myths about whose grief counts
  4. What tends to help grieving people at work
  • Sort activity: Myth or fact?

Diagram · In practice checklist · 2-question knowledge check

03What does the law say about bereavement leave?15 min
  1. The federal baseline: no required bereavement leave
  2. States that require bereavement leave
  3. Handling requests well across states
  • State rules selector: Bereavement leave: verified state rules
  • Decision tree: Which leave might apply?

Diagram · In practice checklist · 2-question knowledge check

04What should you say, and not say, to a grieving colleague?13 min
  1. Words that help
  2. Privacy, announcements and practical support
  3. When you are the coworker, not the manager
  4. Pregnancy loss and other private losses
  • Spot the issue: Spot the problems in a condolence email

In practice checklist · 2-question knowledge check

05How do you plan a return to work and handle anniversaries?14 min
  1. A return-to-work conversation
  2. The months after: performance, patience and limits
  3. Anniversaries, holidays and other hard days
  4. Remote, hybrid and shift workers
  • Matching activity: Return-to-work challenges and responses

Diagram · In practice checklist · 2-question knowledge check

06How do you support a team after a colleague dies?15 min
  1. The first hours: confirm, coordinate, tell people well
  2. The next days and weeks
  3. When the death was by suicide or overdose
  4. When the death happens at work, or a client dies
  • Spot the issue: Spot the problems in a team announcement

Diagram · In practice checklist · 2-question knowledge check

07How do you respect cultural and religious mourning practices?13 min
  1. Mourning varies widely, so ask, don't assume
  2. Religious accommodation at work
  3. Learning about traditions without stereotyping
  4. Ivan's month
  • Ethics dilemma: Extended mourning leave

In practice checklist · 2-question knowledge check

08When should you point to the EAP or professional help, and what goes on the manager's checklist?14 min
  1. When grief may need more support
  2. Offering the EAP and other help
  3. The manager's checklist
  4. Taking care of yourself as the supporter
  • Branching scenario: Supporting a grieving teller through the first months

Diagram · In practice checklist · 2-question knowledge check

Final assessment: 23 questions, 80% to pass, then your certificate

Try it now, no account needed

Supporting a grieving teller through the first months

A branching scenario from this course. Your choices are not saved.

Free sample activity

Supporting a grieving teller through the first months

You are Eugenia Hennessey, a manager at a credit union in Kalispell, Montana. A teller on your team has just learned that her husband has died after a long illness.

Inside the course

Practice activities

  • Self-assessment1
  • Sort activity1
  • State rules selector1
  • Decision tree1
  • Spot the issue2
  • Matching activity1
  • Ethics dilemma1
  • Branching scenario1

Job aids you keep

  • Manager's Checklist: Supporting a Grieving EmployeeChecklist
  • What to Say (and Not Say): Pocket CardPocket card
  • When a Colleague Dies: Response Plan TemplateTemplate

Credit and approval status

Certificate of completion

This course awards a certificate of completion for 2 contact hours of instruction. It is not currently approved or accredited by any HR certification body, licensing board, continuing education accreditor or state agency. Some employers use courses like this for manager development or HR training; your employer or certifying body decides whether it counts. Check before you rely on it for a requirement.

Pathways we may pursue include recertification credit programs for HR professionals and continuing education approval for social work and counseling audiences. None of these approvals exists today; the course page will show an approval only after it is granted.

Our full approvals list

Questions about this course

Does federal law require bereavement leave?

No. The Fair Labor Standards Act does not require pay for time not worked, including funerals, and the FMLA does not cover grieving a death as such. Some states, including California, Illinois and Oregon, require bereavement leave, and employer policies and union contracts often provide it. The course explains these rules and how to apply them across states.

Who should take this course?

Managers, supervisors, HR professionals and coworkers in any industry. It is especially useful for multi-state employers and for leaders who may need to support a team after a colleague's death.

Is this a counseling or crisis course?

No. It is a workplace knowledge course on supporting grieving colleagues and following leave law. It covers when to point someone to the EAP or professional help, and how to share the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline when needed, but it does not train you to provide counseling or crisis intervention.

Does it count toward HR recertification or continuing education hours?

It provides a certificate of completion for 2 contact hours. It is not currently approved by any HR certification body or CE accreditor. Check with your certifying body or employer.

How long does it take?

About two hours: eight modules of 13 to 15 minutes with real-world cases, interactive exercises and knowledge checks, followed by a final assessment.

What job aids are included?

A manager's checklist from the first call through the first year, a what-to-say pocket card, and a response plan template for when a colleague dies.

This course is general education and training awareness from CE Courses Hub on grief and bereavement in the workplace. It is not legal, medical, mental health or professional advice and does not replace your employer's policies, applicable law, or advice from a qualified attorney, HR professional or mental health professional. If someone is in crisis, call or text 988 or call 911. Completing it earns a certificate of completion for the stated contact hours; it is not approved or accredited by any licensing board, state agency or accreditor unless an approval is shown on the course page. Check with your board, employer or state agency whether this course meets your specific requirement.