Grief at Work with Sally Healey and Jessie Williams

Grief at Work with Sally Healey and Jessie Williams

From Under the Rug at Work by Nicole Turnbull | Chief Courage Officer | Neon Shed

April 29, 2026 · 36 min

About this episode

This episode discusses the importance of addressing grief in the workplace and how to provide better support for grieving employees.

Grief at work is often avoided, rushed or handed off, but the way we respond can shape whether someone feels supported or alone. Welcome to Under the Rug at Work, where we shine light on the things that are normally swept under the rug. On this episode, our Founder and Chief Courage Officer, Nicole Turnbull, chats with Sally Healey and Jessie Williams, founders of Grief First Aid, about why workplaces fall flat on grief and what better support can look like. Sally and Jessie share how their own lived experience, research and workplace backgrounds led them to create an Australian-based model for grief support at work. They explain why grief is not something to fix, why it should not be automatically treated as a mental health condition and why workers often need trusted colleagues and leaders who know how to respond with care, choice and clear boundaries. In this episode, we explore: 💠Why grief is so often swept under the rug at work 💠What leaders can say and do when a worker is grieving 💠Why silence, avoidance and “fixing” can cause harm 💠How Grief First Aid helps workplaces build grief literacy This episode is a powerful reminder that grief is part of life, and workplaces…

People in this episode

Host: Nicole Turnbull

Guests: Sally Healey, Jessie Williams

Topics covered

  • grief at work
  • workplace support
  • mental health
  • grief literacy
  • leadership
  • employee well-being

Keywords

  • grief
  • workplace support
  • mental health
  • employee care
  • leadership
  • Grief First Aid

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Grief First Aid

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