This guide has been developed to support managers in the very unfortunate case that a death in service occurs in their team. It explains the actions that need to be completed by managers, the correspondence that should take place with the colleague's next of kin, the support available for colleagues, and how this can be accessed.
Notification of a death in service
You may be made aware of a death in service in several different ways;
- the colleague's family may contact you directly to make you aware
- Call Derbyshire staff may forward a call from the colleague's family or request you contact them
- the colleague may have been involved in an accident at work, or may have passed away suddenly during working hours
A death in service should be treated as a priority and the following actions should be taken as soon as you become aware of the death:
- if you're made aware of a death occurring in the workplace, then the emergency services should be contacted in the first instance and staff dispersed from the area of the incident
- if the death occurs as the result of a work related accident, the area should be secured and remain untouched, the health, safety and wellbeing team and the Health and Safety Executive should be notified immediately in line with the council's incident reporting procedure
- a health and safety incident report must be completed if the death occurred whilst the employee was working - for school incidents contact your nominated health and safety contact, or email healthandsafety.enquiries@derbyshire.gov.uk
- notify your wider team - refer to the 'notifying and supporting colleagues' section of this guidance for more information
Other actions that should be taken
If you receive contact from the next of kin, ensure that you have collected the following information so that HR Services can then reach out to them for any payroll related queries, and pass this information on to the local government pension section:
- name
- address
- relationship to the deceased
- contact details for the next of kin
- date of the employee's death
- the employee's National Insurance Number
You should issue a condolence letter to the next of kin using the details that have been collected and the template provided.
You may have been notified of the death by a source other than the next of kin, a message may have been left with Call Derbyshire for example. In these instances, you should seek to obtain the above information by contacting the original informer.
Notify HR Services of the death to prevent any overpayment of salary. This is done via the submission of a leaver form through SAP Fiori. Provide HR Services with the next of kin's details. If an overpayment of salary has occurred, then please refer to the 'overpayments and underpayments of salary' section of this guide. If you're unsure on any matters relating to pay, then please contact HR Services using the relevant department information.
If you're unable to complete a leaver form in the first instance, or if there is a delay with approval, provide notification via email as soon as possible to the relevant section. Ensure that your email is marked urgent/important to help the payroll team prioritise your request. A leaver form should still be completed once this is possible.
The collection of council equipment in the colleague's possession and return of any of their personal items should be requested and arranged sensitively. It may be appropriate to arrange this once a period of time has passed, and not immediately after the employee has died.
Business continuity
It's important to ensure service delivery in the event of the sudden death of a colleague. You may need to consider the following actions:
- gain access to the employee's calendar to arrange cover for meetings that have been scheduled or reschedule them for a later date
- gain access to the employee's email inbox to provide an out of office message and reallocate any incoming emails
- gain access to the employee's One Drive to access any work in progress, or important files
- contact any external customers that the employee had been liaising with, informing them of a new point of contact and that steps are being taken to ensure business continuity
Notifying and supporting colleagues
You should approach the conversation sensitively and empathetically whilst remaining professional, considering any cultural diversity as well as appreciating that different people will react differently.
You should consider how best to make colleagues aware within the team. For example, it may not be appropriate to inform the immediate team of the death via email.
You should only share information that is appropriate to share and if you have any questions that you are not sure how to answer, seek further guidance from the advice and support team if required, email cst.hrmanageradviceandsupport@derbyshire.gov.uk.
The unpredictability of life means that we can never be sure how soon or how often we will face the challenge of a major life event, such as bereavement or the illness of a loved one. Reactions may vary enormously and there is no right or wrong way to respond and no set timescales. Even when someone may feel that they are adjusting to the loss of someone they care for, they may experience moments of setback.
What you can do as a manager to support your team
It's important to acknowledge someone's grief, and you shouldn't let your own discomfort prevent you from acknowledging their loss; even a simple, "I am sorry for your loss" can make them aware that you empathise with their loss.
You can encourage them to speak about how they are feeling either with yourself, another manager, their trade union representative or other colleagues; it may be helpful for team members to talk through their feelings and memories. If someone does not feel like talking, that is ok too, but it's important that they do not become too isolated and keep their feelings inside. Importantly, you should highlight how your team can access support.
You should ensure they are aware of the wide range of services available to council employees. Or they may find it helpful to speak to their GP if the distress is becoming overwhelming. People will react differently, and some team members will need your support, personally as well as professionally.
Support for yourself and your colleagues
Employee assistance programme - counsellors and advisors are available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days a year.
Employee counselling service - workplace counselling offers confidential support to employees who may be experiencing personal or work-related problems.
In addition to counselling, a wealth of mental health support is available to employees and managers.
A number of wellbeing services are also available from external suppliers in partnership with Derbyshire County Council. Joined Up Care Derbyshire offer a combination of virtual and in-person wellbeing activities such as:
- reflective practice - where employees can talk about challenging topics you may have faced
- TRiM (trauma risk management) - support after experiencing or being exposed to potentially traumatic events
- StRaW (sustaining resilience at work) one-to-one conversation - supporting employee's mental health
- REACT (recognise, engage, actively listen, check risk, and talk) - mental health training
Organisations such as Cruse Bereavement Support can offer additional advice independently of Derbyshire County Council.
Local government pension
The next of kin may have questions regarding the deceased's pension. HR Services will confirm the death in service to the local government pension section if the next of kin has not already done so. The local government pension section will in turn reach out to the next of kin.
Overpayments and underpayments of salary
An overpayment may occur in instances where the notification of the employee's death reaches HR Services after the fifth working day of the month. However, HR Services will make every effort possible to prevent any overpayments.
In the event of an overpayment, it's the department's decision to write off any outstanding amount. Outstanding leave entitlements may be used at the department's discretion to reduce an outstanding overpayment.
If there is a need to recover an overpayment then this will be actioned by HR Services using the next of kin's details provided to them when completing the leaver form.
HR Services will work to pay any amounts due to the employee's next of kin, and they may contact the next of kin for further details.
Funeral arrangements and attendance
The family of the deceased may share with you the plans for the employee's funeral who may or may not want colleagues to be present. Team members may wish to attend and so you should discuss arrangements with your higher manager.
Managing media interest
There may be media interest in the colleague's death. Where you anticipate this interest, or are approached by a media representative, please direct them to news@derbyshire.gov.uk.
Further help
If you require further help then please contact the HR operations, email cst.hr.operations@derbyshire.gov.uk.