Last March, my family suffered an unimaginable loss: My 26-year-old stepson, Aaron, died from an overdose. His death was a shock because, while we knew he had struggled with addiction, he had been doing well for a long time.
My husband, who at the time was only nine months into a new job, called his manager to let her know what had happened.
The next two weeks were a blur of grief, and then he was out of PTO. He had to return to work.
What happened next was a lesson in compassion and empathy.
His team members acknowledged his loss with heartfelt hugs and expressed sincere concern for his well being. During his absence, they had willingly divvied up his caseload so he wouldn’t have to worry about work. They had also passed the hat around in a desire to help shoulder some of the financial burden. “It's not much,” they said, “but we hope it shows you how much we care.” Finally, they said they were going to ask management if they could donate some of their PTO so he could take more time to grieve.
The next day, he was called into the CEO’s office. They spoke at length for almost two hours. Towards the end of the meeting, my husband was told that his PTO was extended for another four weeks, without affecting his team members’ benefits; a grief counselor would be made available to him should he want it; and lastly, a pledge of $3,000 to help with funeral costs.
My husband was deeply touched by the outpouring of support from work during this fragile time. While nothing could ease the agony of losing Aaron, it helped him endure it.
In the months that followed after his return to work, he noticed a shift in the way people interacted with him and each other. His team became closer and more considerate toward each other. And later, when he was approached by another organization for a similar position, he turned it down without a second thought.
His experience isn’t surprising. There is plenty of research that shows that compassion in the workplace fosters stronger relationships, improves productivity, builds loyalty, and creates a safe company culture that encourages collaboration, learning and creativity.
Everyone can learn to be more compassionate: It begins with paying attention to clues that someone may be in distress and responding with empathetic concern, then taking action — big or small — to help the sufferer.
Another important point: Setting the tone for a compassionate workplace begins at the top. Company leaders are in a position to take action that can have a profound impact. In my husband’s case, the concern, time and generosity made possible by his company’s CEO will never be forgotten.
