2015 - Dealing with the death of an employee

The recent death and memorial service of PC Dave Phillips in Liverpool is a solemn reminder of the importance of knowing what to do if one of your employees dies suddenly.  How well prepared are you to handle such an eventuality?

Handling the death of an employee requires employers to combine practicality and sensitivity.  The following is a brief reminder of the practical things that should  be considered.

Accident at work

Did the employee die following an accident at work? A health and safety record must be kept of any such death. The log should include the date, time and place of the event, the personal details of those involved and a brief description of the nature of the event or disease.

Under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR), all fatal accidents arising out of or in connection with work, and deaths resulting from occupational exposure to a biological agent, must be reported without delay to the relevant enforcing authority via the Health and Safety Executive website.

Next of kin

Where the death occurs at work, the employer should inform the next of kin as soon as is practical. A representative of your company, preferably someone who knew the deceased employee, should also arrange to visit the next of kin to pay the company’s respects.  Where possible, the company representative should be offered advice before the visit and support after it, from someone trained in bereavement issues.

Money matters

Any pay owing, including any accrued but untaken holiday up to the death, should be paid to the deceased employee’s representative, and a full payment submission should be submitted for HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), stating the employee’s date of death in the “date of leaving” field.

If the employee was a member of an occupational pension scheme with associated partner’s and dependants’ pensions, the payment of these pensions should be processed as soon as possible, since the beneficiaries may have had their normal source of financial support removed. Similarly, any life assurance benefit should be processed quickly.

In addition to updating the payroll and HR systems, all internal departments and external bodies such as trade unions that keep employee records should be notified promptly.

Other employees

In dealing with the practical issues surrounding an employee’s death it is easy to forget that close colleagues of the deceased may be grieving and many others will want the chance to express their sympathy to the family. Organising a collection for a wreath or circulating a condolence card and allowing special leave for colleagues to attend the funeral will show that the organisation is sympathetic to these feelings.

Work continuity

The handling of work continuity also needs  managing sensitively. Though interim cover will have to be arranged as soon as possible, it is advisable to wait one or two months before arranging a permanent replacement. Employees are likely to be distressed if the post is advertised the following week, and the best internal candidates might not want to be seen to be stepping into  the deceased colleague’s shoes.

Don’t forget to also inform people outside of the company who worked closely with the individual as quickly as possible. Clients will also want to express their sympathies and the way in which the situation is handled will affect how these customers perceive your company.

Employee records

In order to be able to respond quickly, you need to be sure that you have full employee records for all employees that include information on emergency contacts, next of kin and dependants, and that this is current.

Employers should also have a policy covering death in service, outlining the steps to be taken and who is responsible for:

·         health and safety reporting (for work-related deaths);

·         informing the next of kin (for death at work);

·         visiting the next of kin;

·         informing clients;

·         arranging cover; and

·         administering payments to dependants.

If you don’t already have these in place, or don’t have a regular programme to ensure records are kept up to date, you should do so as soon as possible.

External support

The charity Cruse (http://www.cruse.org.uk/) offers individuals and employers support.  Additionally, don’t forget that if your company offers access to an employee assistance programme, bereavement counselling is available for close colleagues and the employee’s family.

And of course, we at Su Allen HR can provide appropriate support and advice to employers – contact us on 01582 883299.

Helen Skepper – Research and Communications Advisor

Su Allen HR