Empathy and Grief in the Workplace

The speaker shares their journey of coping with the loss of their daughter and how returning to work became a therapeutic and meaningful experience. They emphasize the importance of empathy in the workplace and suggest policies and training to support grieving employees. The narrative highlights personal growth, challenges, and the role of work in finding purpose after a tragedy.

What event led the speaker to lose all meaning and purpose in life?

• A financial crisis

• A natural disaster

• The death of their daughter

• Losing their job

What was the speaker's initial feeling about returning to work?

• Excitement

• Indifference

• Self-doubt

• Confidence

How did the speaker describe the role of work in their life after returning?

• A source of stress

• A therapeutic and meaningful activity

• A necessary evil

• A distraction from grief

What is one of the key elements the speaker believes should be part of workplace culture?

• Empathy

• Compassion

• Strict professionalism

• Sympathy

What is one suggestion the speaker makes for supporting grieving employees?

• Increasing salaries

• Reducing work hours

• Providing return-to-work therapy

• Offering more vacation days

How did therapy help the speaker in their professional life?

• By allowing them to bring their whole self to work

• By teaching them new skills

• By making them more competitive

• By helping them separate personal and professional lives

What does the speaker suggest can be a learned behavior in the workplace?

• Technical skills

• Time management

• Empathy

• Leadership

What did the speaker realize about the learnings from therapy?

• They were only useful for personal life

• They were irrelevant to work

• They could have been helpful at work all along

• They were too complex to apply

What does the speaker hope companies will invest in?

• Higher salaries

• Empathetic work environments

• More technology

• Larger office spaces

What is the speaker's final reflection on loss and work?

• Loss is uncommon and should be ignored

• Returning to work can help survive loss

• Work should be avoided during grief

• Loss should be dealt with privately