January is the month we collectively decide to start again. We join run clubs or the gym, take a serious look at our finances, and consider whether it’s time for a new job. Culturally, January carries enormous weight and expectation as the ultimate ‘fresh start’: a time when society collectively resets and expects renewed energy and ambition.
Nowhere is this more pronounced than in the workplace, where the new year brings performance reviews, goal setting and forward planning. With it comes the implicit pressure that the festive break is over, and it’s time to be an active participant in this collective renewal.
But for those grieving the loss of a loved one, the expectation of renewed motivation and forward momentum, sits in stark contrast to the reality of bereavement.
The Festive Period Makes Grief Louder
The Office for National Statistics highlights that a large proportion of UK deaths occur between December and March (an average of 13,400 more than non-winter periods), meaning a high number of employees enter the new year navigating loss compared to other times of year.
And regardless of when a loss occurs, Christmas and New Year often intensify grief. Anyone who has experienced bereavement can attest to how different festive traditions feel. Absence is more visible. Emotions are more raw. The need for support becomes greater, not less.
Yet when January arrives, the expectation is that routines resume and everyone picks up where they left off.
This is where many bereaved employees begin to feel alienated. The initial messages of support fade, flexibility tightens, and check-ins stop all together – but grief hasn’t gone anywhere. For some, the loss may be recent. For others, it may have been months or even years ago, making it feel more difficult or perhaps even impossible to ask for continued help from their workplace.
Without clear, ongoing signals from employers, grief becomes something people feel they have to manage alone – even when support technically exists. This is why HR and wellbeing professionals must be especially proactive. Feelings of shame, guilt or worry often prevent bereaved employees from accessing help unless it is clearly and repeatedly offered.
Bereavement Support Shaping Career Decisions
Empathy’s recent research, ‘The Cost of Loss: The UK’s Bereavement Burden’, explored employees’ experiences following bereavement in the workplace. The findings reveal why January is such a crucial time for businesses to support employees who have experienced bereavement appropriately.
Almost half of people who have experienced bereavement admitted they would consider leaving their job if the support they received was inadequate. Among younger workers, that number was even higher (57% of Millennials and 74% of Gen Z).
What’s particularly striking is how highly bereavement support now ranks as a workplace benefit. Ninety-two per cent of respondents said it was important to them, and every single Gen Z respondent agreed. Overall, it was valued more highly than parental leave, counselling services or critical illness cover.
This matters in January, when people are reassessing priorities and may even be comparing employers. Nearly a quarter of respondents said bereavement-related benefits would influence their decision when considering a new role.
Short-term Support Doesn’t Reflect Real Grief
One reason bereavement support often falls short is that it’s still designed around a narrow window. For most, it is just a few days’ leave. Then comes the expectation that things will return to normal. But grief doesn’t work like that.
Respondents to Empathy’s research described ongoing difficulties long after they were officially “back” to work. Around 30% said they regularly struggled to concentrate at work, and more than a quarter reported being less productive in the year following a bereavement. One in four felt their performance had been affected, and a third needed time off at various points to deal with the practical fallout – paperwork, finances and family responsibilities.
Hidden Retention Risk Employers Don’t See
From a business perspective, the risk isn’t always immediate. It’s the quieter erosion of motivation and engagement.
People show up, but they’re distracted, exhausted and increasingly aware that they don’t feel supported. In January, a month when job searches often begin with browsing and comparison rather than a resignation letter, those feelings can tip into action. By the time someone hands in their notice, the decision has usually been forming for weeks or even months.
Better Bereavement Support
One of the biggest mistakes organisations make with bereavement is assuming it is a single moment to be managed, rather than an experience that unfolds over time. In reality, this is one of the most emotionally significant interactions an employer will ever have with an employee.
As grief expert, and our chief Empathy Officer, David Kessler puts it, “This is one of the most crucial employee experiences you will interact with your employees on. They will remember how you handled this.”
Support should start from the moment an employee reaches out to HR, or their manager about a loss. The response is a formative moment for the employee – it’s important to give reassurance that time will be given and remove any pressure to make decisions right away. The most important thing is to make sure they don’t feel rushed, or that their grief is being minimised in any way.
This means that managers and HR representatives need to be delicate with the language they use. Well-intentioned phrases that attempt to fix, compare or reframe grief often cause harm. Simple, compassionate acknowledgement, paired with clarity about what support is available, is far more effective.
Support also needs to extend beyond the individual. When a bereaved employee is away, there is often a whole team that finds themselves impacted. Many will be unsure on how to redistribute the bereaved persons work and what questions are appropriate to ask their manager. Addressing this as soon as possible reduces resentment, prevents misinformation, and protects both the grieving employee and the wider team. Transparency about coverage, setting out workload expectations, and permission for teams to ask questions are all part of compassionate management.
Crucially, the support shouldn’t end when someone returns. Grief doesn’t run on a timetable, and performance rarely snaps back to normal overnight. Great managers will check in privately, ask open questions, and revisit conversations about workload, flexibility and expectations over time; not just in the first week back.
In the months that follow, it’s essential to signal that support does not expire. That it is acceptable to ask for help months or even years after a loss. And that the employee continues to be seen.
January is a particularly important moment for HR leaders to strengthen bereavement strategies. It’s also an opportunity to remind employees what support already exists, refresh managers with training, and acknowledge that not everyone is starting the year from the same place.
Bereavement Support a Test of Workplace Culture
As HR teams plan for the year ahead, investing in robust bereavement support is not only the right thing to do, but a sound business decision. Employees who feel supported are more engaged, more productive and far more likely to stay.
How an organisation responds to bereavement is one of the clearest indicators of its culture. January, with its focus on fresh starts and tough decisions, brings that into sharp relief. Grief doesn’t reset with the calendar, and workplace policies in 2026 need to reflect that reality.
Clare is the UK General Manager at Empathy, a leading bereavement support platform, spearheading the company's launch into the UK insurance and employee wellbeing market. With over a decade of experience scaling high-growth tech companies - most recently as VP of Delivery Operations at edtech unicorn Multiverse - she has a proven track record of launching new products and entering new markets while driving significant commercial growth. Clare brings this expertise to establishing Empathy as the go-to partner for UK organisations looking to support employees and customers through life's most difficult moments.