'If (employers are) not aware of a loss it could appear to be poor performance, but it could be grief-related'
When an employee is grieving, it can affect their job performance. An aware employer can make the difference.
“It really is important that employers understand what that employee may be going through and be able to work with them until they are starting to heal,” said Kelli Connolly, who counsels mourners through Lutheran SeniorLife VNA Hospice.
A bereavement coordinator, Connolly will present “Grief in the Workplace” at Butler County Community College’s Lunch and Learn session Feb. 6.
Connolly, who received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Pittsburgh in 1994, has worked in hospice for 12 years and is a certified grief recovery specialist.
“It will help employers to be able to recognize when their employees are having an issue with grief,” Connolly said. “They need to be aware there are certain symptoms of grief that can interfere with work. Our society fail to recognize grief for what it is.”
The presentation will start at 11:30 a.m. at ConnectWork on Main, 220 S. Main St., Suite 201, in Butler. A light lunch and a chance to network will follow the presentation.
“Grief in the Workplace” is the second of six Lunch & Learn professional skills workshops to be held in downtown locations through June as part of the first open programming in the city by BC3’s Workforce Development division.
Learn more about the workshop in Sunday's Butler Eagle.
