IT Essentials: On loss

Remember we’re all human. It makes all the difference

Forcing people back to work after a loss will cost you in the long run. Give them the time to grieve.

I sat down to write this week’s editorial fully intending to talk about tech in some way. I had ideas percolating in my head about browsers and search engines, having just made a switch from my long-time favourite Google Chrome to Microsoft Edge.

The words, I’m afraid, just wouldn’t come. At the end of September I went through a horrible and unexpected loss, and going forward without talking about it seemed wrong.

So, instead, I’m going to write about the importance of support. Regular readers will know we’ve covered burnout extensively this year, an area where close relationships, especially in your company, make all the difference.

Bereavement is the same, and I’ve been very lucky to have support from all sides. Friends, family and colleagues sent care packages; our HR team and editorial staff went above and beyond to handle affairs so I didn’t have to; and kind words have flooded in.

None of this makes it better, but it has made it easier. As a society, we’re leaving behind (some more slowly the others) the days when you were expected back at work on top form shortly after a huge life event – and it’s a long cry from a previous job, where I was forced to take annual leave when my grandmother died to have even a single day off.

The reason given was "company policy” (never mind that I had a direct line to the person who wrote and enforced that policy). Likewise, some firms have policies that ban any physical gift giving, so colleagues can’t even send each other cards. And yes, I’m aware of places where such a niggling rule is enforced.

Thankfully, these days people tend to take less refuge in policy and are more ready to treat each other as human beings.

That can only be a good thing. Giving people time and space to grieve when they go through a loss, and supporting their return to work, might cost you some bums-on-seats time, but it will mean happier, more loyal staff. I think that’s worth the cost of a little presenteeism.

Recommended reads:

John Leonard was out at Celonis' Celosphere event in Munich this week, where much of the chatter was around Microsoft’s launch of AI agents. John's written an excellent article about the potential future of this exciting tech.

With our Women and Diversity in Tech Festival fast approaching (remember to get your tickets here), Penny Horwood discusses the importance of mid-career women – who often possess a rich supply of transferrable skills - in the technology space.

And we’ve published the second episode in the second season of Computing’s podcast, Ctrl Alt Lead, where I talked to BT’s Clare Schramm about how the telecom giant is slashing its power consumption. While the release schedule was temporarily upset by my bereavement, it’s now back on track and we’ll have epiodes coming up with many more IT leaders in the coming weeks.