Ep. 430 Workplace Bereavement: Education for Employers with Mekel Harris PhD and Janet Gwilliam-Wright

End-of-Life University

Learn about a project to train organizations and employers to provide better support for their employees who are grieving.

This week I’m hosting two guests who have teamed up to address the issue of bereavement in the workplace. Mekel Harris PhD is a licensed psychologist who specializes in coping and adjustment to acute and chronic illness, grief and loss, and health-related trauma. She is the author of the memoir Relaxing Into the Pain: My Journey Into Grief & Beyond along with The Grief Anatomy Toolkit and Re-Imagining Life After Loss interactive course. Janet Gwilliam-Wright is a leader in the grief and loss space who founded the Motherlove Project, a global platform for motherless daughters. Janet has 15 years experience leading large organizational change and working on complex issues. Together Mekel and Janet have created Bloomwell to teach organizations and managers to support employees navigating grief and loss. Learn more at the following websites:

growwithbloomwell.com

mekelharrisphd.com

motherloveproject.com

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Listen here:

This episode includes:

• How Mekel and Janet came to focus on grief in their professional lives
• How grief is not adequately addressed in the workplace in our society
• The struggle workers face when being required to return to work shortly after the death of a loved one
• How employers can create a better culture in the workplace
• What to do to help a grieving co-worker
• Bloomwell’s framework for managing grief in the workplace
• The training offered by Bloomwell including the physical, emotional, and spiritual impact of grief
• Why education alone doesn’t lead to behavioral change
• The importance of creating a sense of belonging for people who are grieving
• How workplace culture around grief starts at the top

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