Nothing can really prepare you for the loss of a close family member. Whether it be a partner, child or parent, it can hit you like a tonne of bricks or slowly eat away at you in the weeks and months that follow.
Forward-thinking Facebook Chief Operating Officer, Sheryl Sandberg, knows this all too well.
In 2014, the 47-year-old lost her husband, Dave Goldberg, after he collapsed while exercising. In an instant, the high-powered businesswoman was faced with raising their two children alone, juggling a hectic job, and grieving for her husband.
But as an outcome of the tragedy, Sheryl has done something amazing, agreeing to double the bereavement leave allowance for employees of the social network, meaning they’ll now offer 20 days of fully paid leave after the death of a loved one.
Staff will also be able to take six weeks of paid leave to care for a sick family member, or up three days of one week to deal with a short term illness like a child having the flu.
“We need public policies that make it easier for people to care for their children and aging parents and for families to mourn and heal after loss,” Ms Sandberg posted on Facebook.
“Amid the nightmare of Dave’s death when my kids needed me more than ever, I was grateful every day to work for a company that provides bereavement leave and flexibility. I needed both to start my recovery.”
Sheryl adds that she knows “how rare” it is to work for a company that’s so understanding, and urged the creation of policies that make it easier for people to care for their children, aging parents and for families to mourn.
“Companies that stand by the people who work for them do the right thing and the smart thing – it helps them serve their mission, live their values, and improve their bottom line by increasing the loyalty and performance of their workforce,” she wrote.
The news sparked much debate online, with many commending the company’s new policies.
“This is just incredible” wrote Stacy Small. “I was put in a very challenging position as a business owner when my mom died. Taking off time to grieve should not be a luxury, it’s a necessity. Thank you for taking the lead on this.”
While Avraham Berkowitz wrote: “Sensitivity, compassion and deeply respecting your employees will produce the best output of performance.”
Others gave credit to their own employers, who had given them the space to grieve before returning to work.
“I applaud you and want to give a shout out to IBM. Two and a half years ago, I lost my 8-year-old son from a sudden illness and IBM gave me as much time as I needed and never questioned when I would return. It took me several weeks and some starts and stops until I could function close to normally. I am deeply appreciative for the way my company handled the tragedy, as your employees will be in the unfortunate event they are affected,” wrote Chad Andrews.
Here in New Zealand, employees are entitled to a base line of three days bereavement leave after a death of someone close to them, with some companies offering their own extended policies on this.
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