This lack of concentration can result in lost productivity, poor judgment and accidents. In a pioneering study called the Grief Index, the Grief Recovery Institute surveyed 25,000 grieving workers and concluded that grief associated with the death of a loved one costs U.S. businesses $37.6 billion annually. Among the other findings:

Eighty-five percent of management-level decision-makers indicated that their decision-making ranked from "very poor" to "fair" in the weeks or months following the grief incident that affected them.
Ninety percent of those in blue-collar and other physical jobs indicated a much higher incidence of physical injuries because of reduced concentration in the weeks or months following the grief incident.
When study participants were asked if their reduced ability to concentrate affected them for any period of time beyond any allowed bereavement time, in the case of the death of a loved one, 75 percent indicated that reduced capacity affected them significantly beyond the allowed leave.

Asked to estimate the amount of lost days they believe were the direct and immediate result of their reduced focus, 50 percent reported at least 30 lost days in which their value to the company or business was dramatically reduced, and may well have contained significant negative consequences in the form of poor decision making, poor supervisory skills, reduced sales ability and increased workplace accidents and injuries.
An additional 20 percent reported being affected for substantially longer than 30 days.

"It is generally acknowledged, and confirmed by our study, that the death of a loved one is the loss event that has the highest probability of affecting people's ability to function in the workplace," Friedman says.

Instant Insights /

Bereavement in the workplace: Employers&rsquo; next challenge

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