TendernessA DEAR friend died on Friday.  He was a great, generous, caring man, and he improved many lives.

This got me thinking about the role that funeral leave plays in the business world.  Yes, I know that’s a leap, but stay with me here.

When I got my first real job, I was pleased to see that the employer included funeral leave along with its benefits – something like 3 days if it was a direct relative, or 1 day for someone else.  It was a nice gesture.

But that’s not what’s important about it.

The fact is that something like this is an incredible outpouring of humanity on the part of managers, executives, and the company as a whole.  You’re devastated by a personal loss, which goes much deeper than you thought it would.  And your boss says, “drop everything, and go take care of your family.  Don’t worry about work.”

When that happens, you realize that this isn’t just a job, not just a company that you’re working for.  It’s actually a bunch of real people, who have real lives and real concerns, and they support you in being human.  Which is exactly, precisely what you need to help you through your grief.

Do you have this kind of humanity in YOUR business?