Helping organizations respond to loss with understanding and confidence.

Grief reaches every workplace. Whether the loss is internal or an employee is mourning the death of a loved one, navigating serious illness, or balancing caregiving responsibilities, these experiences affect individuals and teams.

Our Workplace Grief Literacy Programs equip employees, managers, and HR professionals with practical knowledge, communication skills, and organizational tools to respond to loss with greater understanding and confidence. Together, we can create workplaces where people feel supported through life’s most difficult moments.

Grief Literacy Matters

Emerging research on loss and work suggests that employees don’t leave grief at the office door.

Supportive workplace responses—including compassion and acknowledgment—are associated with:

stronger connection
greater purpose
lower work impairment
lower psychological distress

In contrast, workplace expectations to minimize, hide, or move quickly past a loss are associated with more difficult outcomes.

When employees and leaders have a deeper understanding of grief, they are better prepared to communicate with compassion, recognize when additional support may be needed, and create space for people to remain connected while navigating loss.

Heng, Y. T. (2022). The Grief-Work Interface: How Employees Navigate Work After Losing a Loved One. Academy of Management Proceedings, 2022(1).

Workplace Grief Literacy Programs

Designed for businesses, nonprofits, healthcare organizations, and other workplaces, these programs combine meaningful learning with practical resources and support that can extend beyond a single training session.

1) Grief-Literate Workplace

Details about Company-Wide Training — $750

The program begins with a live, company-wide virtual training designed to build shared language, understanding, and confidence around grief and loss in the workplace.

Employees will learn how to:

Recognize and respond to different types of loss and life transitions
Better understand common grief responses and their effects
Respond to colleagues with compassion and professionalism
Offer meaningful, practical support
Recognize when additional support or resources may be helpful

Every participant receives:

A digital copy of the Kindred Grief Care guidebook
Beneficial handouts and additional resources

This is not a policy review or compliance training. It’s an interactive learning experience that teaches the shared language, understanding, and confidence needed to respond thoughtfully when loss inevitably reaches the workplace.

Prefer to gather in person? In-person workplace training is available for an additional fee plus travel expenses. Contact me in the form below to discuss your location and needs.

2) Grief-Ready Workplace

Details about Training + Implementation Support — $1,250

Learning is only the beginning. This includes everything in the Grief-Literate Workplace program, plus:

Planning Conversations

Before the training, we’ll schedule 1-2 conversations with HR and/or organizational leadership about your existing practices, communication norms, current goals, and any challenges or questions you are navigating.

This helps build context and ensures the training is aligned with your organization.

Implementation Packet

Following the training, organizational leaders receive a practical implementation packet designed to help integrate grief-literate practices with existing policies, resources, and organizational values.

The implementation guidance includes actionable approaches to:

Compassionate Communication
Practical Support
Workplace Responsiveness
Building a Referral Compass

Follow-Up Conversations

We’ll reconnect after the training to reflect on what came up, answer questions, and consider ways your organization can continue putting the learning into practice.

Continued email support is also available for questions and clarification related to the implementation materials.

Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all solution, this process helps organizations thoughtfully incorporate grief literacy into their current practices and established culture.

3. Grief-Supported Workplace

Details about Training + Implementation + Grief Care Circle — $2,500

For organizations that want to extend support beyond education and implementation, the Grief-Supported Workplace program includes a six-week facilitated Grief Care Circle.

Everything in the Grief-Ready Workplace program is included, along with:

Six-Week Grief Care Circle

The Grief Care Circle is a skillfully facilitated, virtual gathering for employees navigating anticipatory loss, bereavement, or significant life transitions.

There isn’t prescribed curriculum. Instead, the Circle provides a welcoming and thoughtfully held space where participants can ask questions as well as share, listen, reflect, and connect with others who may be experiencing grief.

The Circle includes:

Six weekly, 60-minute virtual sessions for up to 20 participants
Clear group agreements and confidentiality expectations
Trauma-sensitive facilitation
A facilitated discussion shaped by the experiences and questions of the participants

Bridge to Additional Support

The Grief Care Circle is a supportive community space, not a substitute for individual counseling or clinical care.

Part of my role is to serve as a bridge to additional resources when someone needs support beyond the Circle. I can help participants and organizational leaders identify appropriate community, professional, and organizational resources.

Participants are informed about the limits of confidentiality and the circumstances in which a safety or crisis concern may need to be addressed.

Mission-Based Pricing

Access to grief education and support should not be limited by an organization’s professional development budget. Subsidized rates are available for qualifying nonprofits, community organizations, and grassroots groups with limited resources. Use the contact form below to begin planning.

Why Partner with Francesca?

Francesca Lynn Arnoldy has been a community doula since 2009, specializing in birth, death, and grief. Her work has always centered on accompanying people through profound transitions with presence, compassion, and practical support.

She is the author of multiple books and a published researcher with the Vermont Conversation Lab, where her work explores StoryListening—an approach that strengthens connection through attuned presence and meaningful communication. A trusted thought leader, she has been interviewed by outlets including Newsweek, AARP, and the New York Times.

This combination of direct care, research, facilitation, and education informs her approach to workplace grief literacy.

Francesca collaborates with HR and organizational leaders to reduce uncertainty, build confidence, and translate grief-informed practices into real-world workplace settings. She brings a thoughtful, trauma-sensitive approach while respecting the expertise and policies that already exist within your organization.

Interested in bringing grief literacy to your organization?

Let’s schedule a 15-minute conversation. Tell me about your organization and what you’d like to address, and we’ll set up a time to connect.

Workplace Grief Literacy