3 ms·
Beyond death of employees, the issue of bereavment for 20-something startup employees is something we don't talk about much... but sadly it happens to a lot of
by dmor 15y ago
Beyond death of employees, the issue of bereavment for 20-something startup employees is something we don't talk about much... but sadly it happens to a lot of us. I went through this with my mother-in-law last year, and it was very hard. My company was very supportive and did the right thing for me, which was basically "we support whatever you need to do" and then checking in with emails every couple days.
For me, it was the first close family member I've ever had pass away, so I hadn't even thought about what I would do in the situation and I ended up planning a funeral.
- peterb 15y agoI learned what truly great leadership was at Microsoft in the mid-90s. My father passed away unexpectedly and I was devastated. My director at the time (who is now a VP), called me at my mother's home, and I was a mess. He told me how difficult it was to lose his own father and to take as much time as I needed to grieve. He told me not to worry about work and come back when I was ready. The call was short, maybe 2 minutes. I will never forget that call and its lesson. Empathy is the single greatest "skill" a leader can learn.