Survey- Organisational Support for Bereaved Employee

Dear Participant,

Thank you for expressing an interest in participating in this research. My name is Leesa Taylor, and I am a PhD student at Torrens University, Australia. The purpose of the research I am inviting you to participate in is to develop a conceptual framework for organisations to support bereaved employees. My research is looking at both the initial support offered by organisations when a bereaved employee returns to the workplace, as well as the support offered over the longer term. Therefore, one of the criteria for participating in this research is to have been bereaved for over 12 months. This timeframe allows the bereaved employee the time to assess both the short- and long-term support the organisation/employer has provided. The research has also been focused on employees who have had the most intense bereavement experience. They are employees who have had a lived experience of the death of a child or a spouse/partner, in most cases, this death is classified as an “out of order death” that impacts the bereaved employees’ everyday home and work lives. This research is not underestimating or diminish the intense bereavement experiences of other losses, only ensuring the voice of these bereaved employees is heard, which is the focus of the PhD research.

Your participation is valuable in helping to develop this conceptual framework which is hoped will improve the organisational support a bereaved employee experiences when they return to the workplace. Your participation ensures that the voice of the bereaved employee helps inform the findings of this research and assists in raising awareness of some of the challenges that a bereaved employee may experience when they return to work, as well as some of the potential implications for the organisation itself.

The online survey will focus on what type of support you received and what was helpful and not so helpful, the themes will be around support from the organisation, such as extra leave or an adjustment to your work schedule for example, or support from your supervisor or work colleagues. The survey should take only 6-8 minutes to complete and can be done at a time that suits you.

There is a potential risk that the survey may cause some people some discomfort, as issues of past emotionally difficult situations may be raised. If you do feel any level of discomfort, then you are encouraged to either take a break or discontinue with the survey. You are reminded that you are under no obligation to complete this survey and that if you feel you need to seek support, you are encouraged to reach out to one of the professional services provided below.

The other potential risk in participating in research that relates to bereavement is that you may feel fatigued afterwards for the next 24-48 hours. I would therefore encourage you to only start and complete the survey when you can manage this potential risk.

The survey will be open from 7th August 2023 to 10th September 2023 and the link to the survey is here https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CLT2P67 or you can use the scan provided below.

Participation in this study is voluntary and anonymous, and you are free to withdraw from participation at any time during the study. Next, you will find the Participant's Information and Consent Form, which you will need to read and consent to prior to starting the survey. The researcher will ensure that your anonymity is maintained. Your involvement will not be revealed in the final report; for example, your identity or your organisation's identity is not requested in the survey. Information provided by you will be treated as private and confidential. It is not possible to provide a 100% guarantee of confidentiality because information collected through research activities is not legally privileged. However, we will take all reasonable steps to protect their personal information. This includes storing and managing data in accordance with the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research. You may also wish to review SurveyMonkey’s privacy policy at the following location: https://www.surveymonkey.com/mp/legal/privacy-policy/

Should you wish to obtain any further information please contact the researcher Leesa Taylor on 0418 150 962 or email Leesa.Taylor@education.torrens.edu.au or her supervisor Professor Ros Cameron on Ros.cameron@torrens.edu.au or 0423 926 872.

Ethics Approval # 0145
Email: ethics@torrens.edu.au
Torrens University Ethics Committee Coordinator

Participant Information and Informed Consent Form - Link

Regards Leesa Taylor

Free Online Services:
Grief line: 1300 845 745 Link to Grief line
Lifeline: 13 11 14 Link to Lifeline
The Compassionate Friends NSW: 1300 064 068 link to The Compassionate friends NSW

Scan me to complete the survey!