Perception and reflections of the grief process among employees

This master's thesis aims to provide an in-depth examination of the emotional, psychological, and social challenges that employees encounter in the workplace following the loss of a close relative. Accordingly, the study focuses on understanding how the post-bereavement grief process shapes employees' experiences, the ways in which their job performance is affected, and how the workplace responds to this challenging period. A qualitative research method was chosen as the most suitable approach for addressing the research questions, and a phenomenological design was adopted. The study population consists of bank employees working in the central district of Düzce. The high stress level inherent in the banking sector constitutes the primary rationale for conducting the study within this industry. Purposeful sampling was employed, with particular attention given to including employees who had recently lost a close relative and were able to articulate their experiences in detail. In this context, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a total of 14 participants from 23 bank branches located in central Düzce. The data were analyzed using content analysis to capture both the individual and organizational dimensions of employees' experiences during the bereavement process. The analysis yielded 105 codes, 9 categories, and 7 overarching themes. These themes were structured around the effects of grief, the return-to-work process, job performance, and sources of support (including organizational, managerial, coworker, and governmental support). The findings indicate that employees are affected by the grief process in a multidimensional manner—psychologically, emotionally, and physically—and that returning to work is particularly taxing from a psychological standpoint. The results further reveal that post-bereavement job performance is shaped by mutual expectations, with high expectations placing additional pressure on employees. Organizational support, managerial support, and the helpful attitudes of colleagues were found to play a critical role in facilitating the process and enabling employees to regain their previous performance levels. Additionally, governmental support was identified as an important resource by the participants. The insufficiency of leave entitlements provided to employees during the bereavement period indicates the need for a revision of current legal regulations. Furthermore, it was observed that employee assistance programs (EAPs), financial support packages, and spiritual support initiatives—successfully implemented in various countries—should be adapted to the Turkish context. Given that Turkish society attributes culturally and religiously grounded meanings to death and bereavement, developing and disseminating human resources policies that incorporate local values rather than relying solely on Western-oriented practices would both enhance organizational image and contribute to the establishment of a more human-centered organizational structure.