Our death of employee policy sets out the appropriate steps you and your staff, particularly line managers, should take following an employee’s death. You will need to handle the situation carefully and sensitively, both in terms of liaison with the deceased’s next of kin and dealing with their work colleagues and clients.
A sensitive situation
Fortunately, it’s a rare occurrence, but at some stage you may find yourself faced with the death of an employee. This could be sudden and unexpected or following a long illness. Our Death of Employee Policy is designed to assist you when faced with this difficult situation by outlining the practical steps that you and your staff, particularly your line managers, should be taking. There is very little in the way of legislation regarding how you should deal with an employee’s death, but you should always be guided by the circumstances of the case and the wishes of the deceased’s family or next of kin. Appropriate steps you should take include:
Our policy includes a section on each of the above matters to guide you and your staff through what they should be doing both in terms of administration and liaison with others.
Accidents at work
Our policy doesn’t cover the specific considerations that apply where an employee dies at work as the result of a work-related accident or industrial disease. In that situation, a number of additional health and safety considerations and reporting duties will come into play.