Recognizing and properly addressing grieving employees has often been a sensitive yet crucial part of running a business. With the individual and collective grief that has followed the Covid-19 pandemic, how can employers expand their awareness of their employees’ mourning, have compassionate policies which allow workers the time and space to heal, while further helping the company to have healthier, more engaged workers?
On July 13th, we will be fortunate to have – a business coach / specialist in grief and recovery. Nesreen Ahmed will discuss grief and loss after Covid, how it looks, and what approaches companies can take when employees are grieving. A must-see show for businesses as we rethink the workplace.
By Segment
0:30 – 15:23 – Eric Sarver introduces his show and guest, Nesreen (Mahmoud) Ahmed, MS, PCC, CPQC CEO of Harbor Light Coaching. She is a professional life and grief coach. Nesreen goes on to share her background and how she got involved in grief recovery coaching. She talks about how the passing of her sister turned her whole world upside down. She explained that while going through the stages of grief and therapy, she was training as a business and life coach and through that she found out about grief coaching. Nesreen shared that working as a coach helped her heal and accept her relationship with her sister.
17:40 – 28:54 – After the break, Eric continues the conversation about some common misconceptions around grief. Eric mentions how it’s helpful for employers to realize that everyone processes grief differently. He continues, explaining that grief is not often talked about in the workplace, likely because people don’t know how to approach the situation. Nesreen shares her experience with how COVID-19 impacts unresolved grief in employees. She mentioned that employees can become much less invested if they don’t have proper compassion from their employer. She has seen when employees have gone through grief and requested time off just to be denied. She said it makes the employee feel less valued and turns them off from performing to the best of their abilities. Eric shares his own experiences with this, citing times clients have come to him asking for advice about giving minimum time off. His advice is often that workers who get the bare minimum don’t feel inspired and tend to leave. Eric believes it is best to treat your employees better in order to receive a consistent quality performance.
31:28 – 44:18 – Eric continues the conversation of addressing grief in the workplace. He believes it is important for the employer to work with the employee that is in distress. It could be helpful to involve the employee’s doctor or counselor when discussing a leave of absence. Eric mentions employee assistance programs, which can offer help for employees who are struggling with mental health issues. He encourages programs and policies alike to ensure employees feel supported and guided.
46:48 – 57:04 – After the break, Nesreen shared the unique approach that Harbor Light Coaching uses for their clients who are on their journey of healing and recovery. She thinks it’s a positive approach to remind those in the process of grieving, of all the small obstacles they overcome everyday; like getting out of bed or taking a shower. Nesreen cautions however, that a person in grief has to show up and put the work in if they want to see a positive change in their life. Towards the end of the show, Nesreen tells the audience how she can be reached and how you can set up a one- on-one if you are interested in grief training.
About Employment Law Today
Helping Business With Employment Law Issues.
For many business owners, it can be overwhelming to keep up and comply with the federal and state labor and employment laws that govern how they run their business. With the COVID-19 pandemic, there are new laws and regulations regarding hiring, firing, and workplace practices and protocols — all of which can increase business owners’ anxieties about regaining traction or thriving again. On my weekly show, we will be discussing the most common employment law related questions and challenges that business owners have been facing in these uncertain times.
The show will have three main goals: (1) to inform businesses about employment law updates, (2) to inspire businesses by giving them the tools to move forward, and (3) to demonstrate how some business owners have overcome their employment law problems, walked through the challenges imposed by this pandemic, and have taken steps to regain traction during the reopening phases of this pandemic.
Our guests will include professionals who advise businesses from an H.R., legal, and financial perspective, along with thriving business owners who will share their experiences and insights into running a successful company while complying with labor and employment law mandates during COVID-19.