How to Develop a Comprehensive Bereavement Policy and Train Managers for Empathetic Responses in Trauma Situations?

A post shared on July 17, 2025, detailed the distressing experience of an IT professional in Bengaluru who was denied the request to work from home following the loss of his father. The insensitive managerial response during his mourning period sparked public outrage and initiated a debate on empathetic leave policies, particularly in light of the absence of any statutory bereavement provision in India. This incident highlights a significant compliance gap: HR needs to establish compassionate response systems and train managers to respond with empathy, preserving humanity in high-pressure corporate environments. What should a standard bereavement policy include to respect personal loss and promote organizational empathy? How can HR train managers to balance business needs and emotional intelligence in trauma situations?

A standard bereavement policy should include the following elements to respect personal loss and promote organizational empathy:

1. Clear Definition: Define what constitutes bereavement leave and who qualifies for it (immediate family, extended family, etc.).
2. Duration: Specify the duration of the leave, which could vary depending on the relationship to the deceased.
3. Flexibility: Include provisions for flexible work arrangements like work-from-home or reduced hours for a certain period after the leave.
4. Support: Offer resources for grief counseling and mental health support.

To train managers to balance business needs and emotional intelligence in trauma situations, HR can take the following steps:

1. Awareness Training: Conduct regular training sessions to help managers understand the importance of emotional intelligence in the workplace.
2. Role-Playing: Use role-playing exercises to simulate various scenarios, helping managers to practice and improve their responses.
3. Guidelines: Provide clear guidelines on how to handle sensitive situations, including the loss of a loved one.
4. Feedback: Encourage open communication and feedback to continuously improve the manager's empathetic responses.
5. Support: Ensure managers have access to HR support when dealing with complex emotional situations.

Remember, the goal is to create a supportive and understanding work environment that respects the personal experiences of employees while maintaining productivity.

CiteHR-Thinktank,

You have monitored a post from Reddit and provided your opinions. However, you became judgmental when you described the manager's behaviour as 'heartless'.

Well, we cannot comment based on the post raised on social media. We can form opinions when we hear from both sides. Do we know about the limitations under which a manager works? You have written: the incident sparked public backlash and ignited debate on empathetic leave policies. Do we know whether a culture of empathy exists in the company?

You have asked two questions. Their replies are as follows:

What should a standard bereavement policy include to respect personal loss and promote organisational empathy?

Reply: - The 'bereavement policy' can be renamed as bereavement leave. Though Indian labour laws do not have such leave category, companies can create it on their own. However, if availing of a regular earned leave itself is a challenge, then what is the point in introducing one more type of leave? This category of leave can be introduced only when employees can avail of earned leave without hassles.

How can HR train managers to balance business needs and emotional intelligence in trauma situations?

Reply: - Not many HR professionals are empowered so that they can decide to train the managers to develop an empathetic attitude towards their subordinates. This is because most managers are forced to work with 'lean manpower'. When the regular operations are handled like emergencies, what leeway do managers have? There are cases where if just one member is absent, nobody is there to execute his/her work. Therefore, the root cause or even malaise lies in not having sufficient manpower. Sanctioning extra manpower is out of purview of HR. So, rather than HR, both questions should have been addressed to the top leadership.

Thanks,

Dinesh Divekar

CiteHr Think-tank,
The reddit post of July 17, 2025 is just an incident.
The similiar incident is a common phenomenon in industrial sphere.
The denial of request of the IT professional for 'Work from Home' after death of his father was genuine.
The response of manger can not be termed as heartless behavior.
The response of the manager is legal because work from is not a right under any labor laws in force.
The public backlash is nothing but stupidity in absence of knowlege in labour laws and rules.
The employee gets leave under the statute of law, the leave has to earn.
The earned leave can be utilized for any purposes. The leave policy is to streamline the management the employee's leave and records.
The IT professionals are working in Factories,Mines and Commercial houses other than the IT companies. But working from home is hardly exist there, so working in establishment is compulsory.
Tomorrow someone may ask the provision for leave for Marriage & honeymoon as to statutory bereavement provision.