Suicide postvention support for a workplace

Suicide is a complex issue with many contributing factors. Within a workplace, a death by suspected suicide can affect both internal workplace connections and external work contacts (such as clients and business networks of the person who died).

After a staff member’s suspected suicide, it’s important to find the right balance. Keeping the workplace functioning and ensuring the wellbeing of your team is vital. Maintaining normal routines and processes, while providing the time and space to give and receive support, can be reassuring for staff.

“A death by suicide has an impact that is often far-reaching. It can ripple beyond those who were immediately connected with the person who died. Following the death, a critical part of suicide prevention is to provide warm and empathic support within the workplace.”  
- Mark, peer support worker

This resource offers practical ways to support people affected after a suspected suicide and provides a path towards healing and hope. 

It has been developed alongside people with lived experience of suicide in the workplace, and clinical specialists. Its steps provide clear guidance on the immediate actions that need to be taken to support people in your workplace. 

To share the overall responsibility for effectively using this resource’s guidelines within a workplace, we recommend forming a postvention response team.  

To help guide your postvention response, this resource is divided into critical time periods and includes checklists, key information and templates. These resources can also be downloaded separately. 

This resource also includes guidance on supporting a team member if they have experienced the suicide loss of a whānau member or close friend outside of work. The guidance and information is also available below as a downloadable pdf.