A traditional three-day leave of absence for bereavement means that almost all employees return to work when their grief is at its most intense. In order to help employees return to the workplace, employers need to understand that a wide range of reactions to grief may be normal. Lack of concentration, distractibility, tearfulness and extreme exhaustion are just some of the symptoms that may be exhibited. Sometimes, employees may need to be removed from a stressful project or reduce their work load. Therefore, employees and employers should be encouraged to maintain an open dialogue for several months.