The Grief Project Is Lucky Generals’ Compassionate Approach to Bereavement

When multiple people at Lucky Generals suffered losses last summer, the agency undertook “a journey of empathetic policy building,” says Kitty Munro, people and culture director, to create a new bereavement policy called The Grief Project. “We felt that although we always try to ensure every individual has the support they need, grief and compassionate leave often trail behind in formal policy. And, as it turns out, in working life in general.”

Research undertaken by Lucky Generals in conjunction with Ipsos revealed that 55% of people don’t know their bereavement rights, 73% avoid talking about death at work, and many don’t realise employers aren’t legally required to provide paid leave (except for the loss of a child). 

The agency coupled these insights with something that felt true to them: “The fact that, quite frankly, many bereavement policies aren’t good enough, and there isn’t a lot of official mandated support. The key point being, that the UK's legal stance on compassionate leave does not require employers to offer any paid time off, while statutory pay (￡184.03 a week) is only offered for the loss of children under 18, or a stillbirth after 24 weeks,” Kitty points out. 

The research revealed more surprising findings. “We just wanted to know how many people were unaware of how little support they had. From there, we wanted to find out what people knew about their own policies. Which turns out, not a lot,” she adds. 

Ipsos conducted the survey of 2,213 nationally representative UK adults aged 16-75 and the key findings are:

• 64% of UK adults aged 16-75 in full or part-time employment think their employer’s bereavement leave policy is paid

• 55% of UK adults aged 16-75 in full or part-time employment know little or nothing about their employer's bereavement leave policy

• 69% UK adults aged 16-75 strongly agree or tend to agree that employers should have a bereavement policy in place that accommodates different religious needs

• 86% UK adults aged 16-75 strongly agree or tend to agree employers should have a bereavement policy in place that allows for flexibility when employees need to take time off

• 73% UK adults aged 16-75 strongly/tend to agree that people in the UK are reluctant to talk about death, but 82% strongly agree or tend to agree that it's important to talk openly about it

Kitty says that she did a lot of research and competitor analysis (“Well, as much as possible when not many policies are open source”), including looking at policies outside of the advertising industry. Eventually, “we had a pretty strong idea of where the pain points were,” says Kitty. “We are also very close to our people and understand the different cultures and backgrounds they all come from – so we also had a good idea of the ways in which we could relieve that pain. But then the research just backed up what we thought.”

One insight in particular proved most illuminating: that 64% of UK adults aged 16-75 in full or part-time employment think their employer’s bereavement leave policy is paid. Kitty thinks this “shows that there is a considerable anomaly that creates massive inequality, where time off for loss risks being something that only those who are highly paid can afford.”

While Lucky Generals had an unofficial bereavement policy, the research made the agency realise that they needed to formalise it to offer people something solid that they could turn to in time of need. “Previously, although we had always been compassionate and generous with people experiencing loss and given time where needed – like many organisations – we didn’t have much explicitly talking about people’s entitlement to leave and the support available to them. By formalising this, it’s taken the onus off the individual to try and navigate how much time off is appropriate, and there's no responsibility on the person to ever negotiate how much bereavement leave they have, something which can sometimes happen in discretionary policies. As well as new additions such as death admin support and specialist bereavement counselling which weren’t offered before, the very creation of a clear policy that people can rely on is a huge difference,” Kitty explains. 

The agency knew it had to ensure that whatever policy it created, it would be reflective of its multicultural staff and sensitive to the plurality of ways different people and cultures approach death and grief. “The research showed us this fascinating stat that reaffirmed what we had thought while designing the policy. When questioned on what policies should include, seven in ten (69%) UK adults aged 16-75 said they strongly agree or tend to agree that employers should make sure they accommodate different religious needs; 86% strongly agree or tend to agree that it should allow for flexibility when employees need to take time off; and 75% think it should have a phased return to work.”

Kitty notes that “grief is deeply personal and takes many forms. From Hindu funerals, to Irish wakes, to quiet moments of reflection, every culture and community has its own way of mourning. An inclusive bereavement policy should be flexible, acknowledging these differences while ensuring meaningful support for all employees.”

She continues, “For instance, Islamic traditions include visits on the 7th and 40th days after a passing, as well as annual remembrances — timelines that don’t fit neatly into conventional leave policies. Similarly, in Jewish communities, mourning periods vary based on the mourner’s relationship to the deceased. Traditions can also differ within the same faith, shaped by family and community customs. Respecting these diverse practices is essential to providing compassionate and equitable support.”

While Kitty says that she doesn't know of any other agencies that have the same style of policy, it doesn’t mean that “people-led policies around compassionate leave don't exist in other agencies. I’m sure they do, but one of the big challenges with bereavement is that the government provides very little framework for organisations to follow, and as Brits we can feel a little awkward talking about death and avoid the topic.”

Lucky Generals wanted to specifically break down the awkwardness of the subject and focus on “supporting the person grieving.” 

“We found the best approach to that was through being super clued up on what people are entitled to versus what people need as individuals,” Kitty states. 

A personal, need-based approach to grief is something Kitty would like to see become the industry standard. That’s why the agency has made its policy open source and worked closely with NABS to have them ratify it as well. “Pick-up has been good so far with more than 800 people downloading and using the policy, so we’re on the way,” she reports. 

“Everyone experiences grief differently, requiring varying levels of support, flexibility, and time. It’s essential for our industry to embrace a compassionate and adaptable approach to mourning in the workplace. Employers have a responsibility to provide their people with the space and time they need, rather than adhering to outdated, one-size-fits-all policies that fail to account for cultural and religious diversity. By sharing our research and policies, we hope to encourage other like-minded organisations to recognise and incorporate these differences into their bereavement policies, fostering a more inclusive and supportive work environment,” she concludes.