It is early, the morning is beautiful. Just one week until they break for Christmas, fourteen corporates file in and take their places around the table of a Macquarie Group Boardroom. With a view of Barangaroo they sip their fresh coffee, begin their croissants, and talk about death.
We recently spoke with Mhairi Fraser who reflected on her experience when she was a manager of a staff member whose baby died whilst on maternity leave.
To put this into context, an estimated 3,000 babies are either stillborn or die in the first 28 days after birth. This is a statistic you’re never really prepared for, and when it happens to one of your team members, you’re thrust into unknown waters. You may wonder…how do I let people know and who do I tell first? You will probably ask, what’s my role?
Here are 5 big ‘dos’ from a manager who has been there: