Two of my employees lost a childhood friend this week. They let me know about it yesterday and I told them to take all the time they need.
But… I need them to communicate to me how much time they need and when that is. After expressing condolences, I’ve told them to not be shy about letting me know when they want/need time off, and there’s no limit to time. I’ve also asked that they tell me when so I can cover for them, but neither have been in touch.
Do I just take them off the schedule them this week? Two weeks? Should I ask for specifics? If I reach out to them, how long is reasonable to wait to gently remind them without seeming like a callous monster? Do I ask them if they want to use their PTO all week or just assume that they will want to?
I want them to be and feel supported, I want to give them the time and space they need to start to grieve, and I want to cover for them at work. I can give them whatever they need, it just helps to know.
And I run a small business. There are only eight full time employees including me and these two, so while I’m happy to give these guys all the time they need, I don’t have an endlessly deep bench to cover for them. We’ll close if I can’t cover, or just run lighter than usual (single booking instead of double, longer appointments to allow more time with a lighter staff, etc). I don’t resent that, but it’s tough to organize without knowing.
What would you want your boss to do?