16 tcf.org.uk During my time off, all I received from my employer, Virgin Media O2, was a Bupa occupational health phone number, which felt impersonal and inadequate. Returning to work was daunting, and I felt unsupported. Determined to turn my grief into something positive, I sought to improve bereavement support at Virgin Media O2 (VMO2). After gathering feedback from over 400 employees, I discovered that over 50% felt unsupported. Recognizing the gap between employee needs and company offerings, I proposed and presented a new Bereavement support strategy for the business. My proposal included: • Aligning and enhancing our bereavement policies and introducing paid leave for unexpected life events • Introducing manager bereavement training and a manager toolkit to enable managers to support their employees going through a bereavement. • Creating an employee bereavement toolkit to support employees returning to work • Creating a “Hug in a Box” practical care package for bereaved employees, featuring policy information, helplines, befriending services, and support items. • Creating a culture and support community for shared bereavement experiences to break the taboos of talking about grief in the workplace. Presenting my plan to VMO2’s senior leadership team and HR Director, they pledged £200k annually to implement the changes starting October 2022. VMO2 is now best-in-class at supporting their bereaved employees, having received continuous positive feedback and is these solutions are still going strong today. Now, as an internal bereavement consultant, I collaborate with HR to bridge the gap between employee needs and company support. Hug in a Box In November 22, I won the 100 women in tech computing awards for this work which I am very proud of. In May 2023, I also won the Founders Award at the ‘This Can Happen’ Awards, who support mental health in the workplace. Bereavement Support in the Workplace Shared by Harley Cunningham COMPASSION | FEATURE: BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT IN THE WORKPLACE I’m Harley Cunningham, a full-time mother of three. In February 2021, amidst lockdown, tragedy struck when my two-year-old son, James, passed away suddenly from bronchopneumonia. Harley Cunningham
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTM0NTEz