Responding to suicide risk in the workplace

As people professionals you have a key role to play in supporting a culture that supports good mental health and can talk about suicide.

Suicidal thoughts are far more common than many people think, but there can be extensive stigma in talking about suicide. Too few employers have frameworks that encourage the kind of climate where people can talk to someone about suicide and find ways to seek help. HR are often not providing traning to managers and employees on what to do when someone discloses suicidal feelings.

This guide aims to support people professionals to address that gap, by providing practical advice and guidance on how organisations can educate their workforce and make it easier to open up and talk about suicide.

This guide runs alongside a partner guide for people managers – so both HR and people managers know what role they can play to develop a non-stigmatising culture around suicide, and develop safe spaces to talk.

Please note that we are not providing occupational health (OH) or legal advice, but rather, practical guidance to best support people at times of difficulty.

Useful definitions

The following definitions are duplicated across both this people professional guide and the people manager guide. That is because it is important that we all use the same terms and definitions when it comes to mental health. Please note that an organisation’s response to suicide risk should be part of its wider approach to addressing mental health.

Importance of appropriate language

It’s important that organisations use appropriate language relating to sensitive subjects such as mental health and suicide. Samaritans point out that inappropriate use of language can perpetuate stigma or unhelpfully sensationalise or inadvertently romanticise a suicide death. By understanding the appropriate language to use, organisations can raise awareness around potential mental health issues, begin to tackle stigma around suicide and facilitate positive conversations.

We all have mental health, just as we all have physical health. This can fluctuate on a spectrum from good to poor and we all have times when we feel better or worse.

Good mental wellbeing is a term that describes a positive state of mind. It enhances resilience and our ability to cope with the day-to-day stresses of life and helps us to work productively. It enables us to interact positively with others and realise our own potential. When we talk about ‘wellbeing’ in this guide, we are referring primarily to mental wellbeing, while acknowledging that this is also affected by physical health.

Poor mental health may result from low mood, stress or anxiety. This may be because we’re feeling restless, confused, short-tempered, upset or preoccupied.

A mental health problem is when difficult experiences or feelings linger and start affecting our ability to enjoy and live our lives in the way we want. This could involve a specific diagnosis from a doctor. For more detailed information on types of mental health problem, see Mind’s guidance.

Work-related stress is defined by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) as "the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them" at work. Stress, including work-related stress, can be a significant cause of illness. Stress is not a medical diagnosis, but when severe stress continues for a long time, it may lead to a diagnosis of depression or anxiety, or more severe mental health problems.

Sustained work-related stress can also lead to feelings of burnout, which the World Health Organization does not classify as a medical condition but defines as: "a syndrome... resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed". Feelings of burnout aren't always necessarily directly associated with triggering thoughts of suicide but can provide an important context in which such thoughts might further develop.

Self-harm is when you purposefully hurt yourself as a reaction to adversity, or as a way of trying to cope with very difficult feelings, painful memories or overwhelming situations and experiences. (See Mind guidance for more information.) The Suicide Prevention Strategy for England recognises self-harm as a potential risk factor for suicide, but most people who self-harm will not go on to take their own life. However, all instances of self-harm should be taken seriously. Should self-harm be mentioned by an employee, signposting to appropriate medical or psychological therapy services, such as a GP, is advised (see NHS advice). There are also suicide prevention strategies and/or action plans in place in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

It’s important to use appropriate terms so there is greater awareness and understanding about suicide. Terms appropriately used to refer to suicide include ‘take one’s life’, ‘death by suicide’, ‘suicide attempt’ and ‘person at risk of suicide’ (see Samaritans guidelines).

Terms appropriately used to refer to suicide	Phrases to avoid
Take one’s life	Commit suicide
Death by suicide	Cry for help
Suicide attempt	Successful or unsuccessful suicide attempt
Person at risk of suicide	Suicide epidemic
	Suicide prone
	Suicide victim

Using certain terms can inadvertently contribute to the stigma associated with talking about suicide and can silence people who might otherwise seek help.

Suicide postvention refers to the actions taken by the organisation to support people affected by a colleague who has died by suicide. Although it’s a rare event, every employer needs to be prepared to respond very quickly to a suicide death.

Why is suicide a workplace issue?

Moral and ethical responsibility

Most of us spend a large part of our waking hours working, and the quality of our working life has a major bearing on our overall health and wellbeing.

Work can give us purpose and meaning and an important sense of belonging and social cohesion.
But an unhealthy or stressful working environment can contribute to poor mental wellbeing. The CIPD provide a Guide on managing work-related stress.
In addition, people can't be expected to leave their personal worries at home.

Due to these points, employers play an important role in creating a supportive and healthy climate that acknowledges the risk of suicide. This means recognising particularly difficult and stressful situations and putting additional care and support in place when needed by employees. Employers’ approach to mental health and wellbeing should expressly address suicide risk and incorporate an awareness and prevention strategy.

Organisations should create an environment that encourages people to share mental health issues and/or suicidal thoughts, and one where they feel listened to and supported, without judgement. An empathetic colleague or manager may be the first step in them accessing the help they need.

Dealing with an employee who discloses suicidal thoughts or has already attempted suicide can be extremely challenging as an HR professional. This could be a one-off situation, or someone could have a plan to attempt suicide and/or has enduring thoughts about taking their own life.

As an HR professional, you cannot be expected to act as a counsellor, and nor can a manager. It’s essential to know when/how to refer someone to more specialist sources of help where needed. The organisation should make this signposting clear to managers and colleagues in any guidance you disseminate. If someone is in distress and tells a manager or colleague they are thinking about suicide, guidance should urge them to contact their doctor. If the crisis is immediate and someone is in imminent danger of taking their own life, the manager or colleague should call for an ambulance and not leave them alone.

It’s also important that the organisation is proactive in offering appropriate wellbeing support, such as counselling, to anyone, including managers, HR professionals and employees, who listens to a colleague who has suicidal thoughts.

Actions for HR from this information

Below are suggested overview actions for people professionals, the decisions you take should be organisation and need specific. HR many consider the following actions:

Review whether suicide awareness, risk and prevention is within your organisation's mental health and wellbeing strategy.
Encourage open discussions on mental health by ensuring employees feel listened to and not judged. Promote psychological safety where employees feel able to speak up and share sensitive information. As an overall wellbeing approach, provide proactive support such as counselling services and mental health resources.
Put mechanisms in place to recognise high-risk or particularly stressful situations. Provide additional targeted support when stressful situations arise.
Provide clear guidance for managers and employees so they understand how and where to respond to a colleague who talks about suicidal thoughts. Train managers and employees in empathic listening while reassuring them that they are not expected to act as counsellors. Clarify roles and boundaries (ie HR should support and signpost but should not give advice or diagnose).
Establish clear referral and escalation pathways that signpost to specialist support. Ensure this guidance is widely disseminated and easily accessible.

Understanding suicide risk

Many people find it uncomfortable to discuss such a sensitive subject as suicide. Consequently, there are many misconceptions about it. The first step in creating a culture where people can seek help if they have suicidal thoughts and are struggling is through education. This needs to be done carefully and sensitively, as part of a wider wellbeing strategy, building a culture where it’s safe to talk about suicide.

Removing the stigma around suicide

An employer should raise awareness about suicide among employees, communicating the important fact that some suicides are preventable, and highlighting key sources of professional help. Many people worry that mentioning suicide to someone may encourage that individual to attempt suicide, but this is not the case. As the BSI Standard 30480 on Suicide and the Workplace states: “There is no evidence that asking someone directly if they are thinking about suicide makes them more likely to act on, or increase, those thoughts. In fact, it opens up a conversation that could help the person get the help they need”.

Furthermore, individuals who have been experiencing suicidal thoughts will often say what a relief it was to be able to discuss what they were experiencing. The experience of mental health workers tends to be that asking about suicide will, at worst, leave the level of risk unchanged; at best, it will be a critical factor in making it less likely. As such, the key guidance is to always ask about suicidal thoughts if they are suspected.

Potential warning signs associated with suicide

The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that the signs of suicide are often not always visible, but urges employers to pay particular attention to people who are losing their job.

The WHO lists other warning signs to look out for, such as:

expression of thoughts or feelings about wanting to end their life, or talking about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live
expression of feelings of isolation, loneliness, hopelessness or loss of self-esteem, or dwelling on problems
withdrawal from colleagues, decrease in work performance or difficulty completing tasks
changes in behaviour, such as restlessness, irritability, impulsivity, recklessness or aggression
speaking about arranging end-of-life personal affairs, such as making a will, or concrete plans for suicide
abuse of alcohol or other substances
depressed mood or mention of previous suicidal behaviour
bullying or harassment.

The symptoms that could be associated with someone having suicidal thoughts are not definitive on their own, but could still show that someone is struggling to cope and needs help.

It’s about noticing that someone’s behaviour changes by comparison with what has been typically experienced. Warning signs might be different for everyone, but having a good relationship with your employee, and the ability to recognise a change in behaviour, can prompt a conversation about whether they’re okay.

Conversely, many people won’t show any warning signs and will do their best to conceal how they are feeling. Nonetheless, being alert to potential indicators could help to build up a picture of concern for that person’s welfare. Some of the warning signs and changes can include:

physical – for example, fatigue, changes in sleep patterns, appetite and weight changes, visible tension or trembling, increased physical health symptoms (for example, pain)
psychological – tearfulness, feeling low, mood changes, loss of motivation, increased sensitivity, lapses in memory
behavioural – increased smoking and drinking, irritability, anger or aggression, lateness, working longer hours, absence, impaired or inconsistent performance.

However, just as it’s important to understand that someone thinking about suicide may not show any visible signs, it’s also important to recognise that if an individual does show some of the above signs, it’s not necessarily because they are feeling suicidal.

Risk factors associated with suicide

There is no straightforward explanation for why someone may decide to die by suicide, and it’s typically not caused by one particular factor. The reasons why a person may be more at risk of attempting or completing suicide are complex and multifaceted and cannot be oversimplified.

Gender

Suicide is more common in some groups than others. Samaritans’ research shows that dying by suicide is much more common among men than women across all age groups; men from the lowest social class, living in the most deprived areas, were much more likely to end their lives by suicide compared with those in the highest social classes from the most affluent areas. Middle-aged men are the age group most at risk. That is not to say, however, that women experience suicidal thoughts less than men. The statistics around suicide deaths are explained by a number of reasons, including that men are less likely to seek support as early as women, more likely to ‘bottle things up’, and, if they do have suicidal intention, can select a method that is more likely to result in their death.

Occupation

Some occupations are at particularly high risk of suicide. It’s important that in these settings, attention is given to the specific risk factors that might be present, for example availability of means. According to ONS research, the following settings have been identified at highest risk:

Males working in the lowest-skilled occupations had a 44% higher risk of suicide than the male national average.
The risk of suicide among low-skilled male labourers, particularly those working in construction roles, was three times higher than the male national average.
For females, the risk of suicide among health professionals was 24% higher than the female national average; this is largely explained by high suicide rates among female nurses.
Male and female carers had a risk of suicide that was almost twice the national average.

However, all organisational settings need to be vigilant to the potential for suicide risk.

Attempting to explain suicide by occupation is also complex, as it’s likely that several factors interact. The ONS outlines some broad reasons why an occupation may carry a high risk of suicide, including:

Job-related features such as low pay and low job security increase risk.
Having access to, or knowledge of, a method of suicide increases risk: for example, common explanations for a higher risk of suicide among occupations such as doctors, dentists, nurses, vets and agricultural workers (such as farmers) include having easy access to lethal means.

The difference between risk factors and warning signs

Risks also include impulsivity (how quickly we are likely to act on emotional challenges or changes) and disinhibition (for example, alcohol or drug use can lead us to act in ways we would ordinarily not do).

However, risk factors should not be misinterpreted as warning signs. How specific risk factors and life events impact on one individual is a unique and complex process, and suicide is not predictable in that sense. As such, suicide is one of the most difficult behaviours to predict. Many people will experience the risk factors for suicide and never go on to take their own life, but it’s important to understand these factors, to help think about your employees and who may be most at risk.

Mind’s guidance says that everyone’s experience of suicidal feelings is unique to them. Struggling to cope with certain difficulties in your life can cause you to feel suicidal. It highlights a long list of work- and non-work-related events and circumstances, including:

mental health issues
bullying or discrimination
the end of a relationship
adjusting to a big change, such as retirement or redundancy
doubts about your sexual or gender identity
long-term physical pain or illness.

By being aware of the potential risk factors for suicide and understanding that people are affected by circumstances and events inside and outside work, organisations can create the culture and support to help employees who may be facing difficult issues.

Creating a supportive and positive culture for mental health

People professionals play a leading role in the mental health strategy

Many of the elements that create a mentally healthy workplace, such as effective stress risk management, an open culture around mental health and good people management practices, will lay the groundwork for an employer’s response to suicide risk. A supportive, compassionate and positive culture is key to offering the right support.

For people professionals, establishing an effective organisational framework to support good mental health should include fostering an environment where people can discuss their feelings. This kind of culture should help to tackle the silence and stigma around suicide and hopefully encourage people to talk about suicide concerns and seek help.

A framework that encourages good mental health, and supports people appropriately if they experience mental health issues should cover several key areas.

The points below are for people professionals and are complemented by the actions for managers in the supporting guide.

Foster an open culture where people can talk about mental health and other personal or health issues

Senior managers should lead by example, by role-modelling healthy behaviour (such as an appropriate work-life balance and taking regular breaks) and sending out clear messages about the importance of mental health and suicide awareness.
While mental ill health and issues like suicide are sensitive and personal, most people would prefer an honest and open enquiry about how they are as opposed to silence. (See the CIPD/Mind People Managers’ Guide to Mental Health for how to broach the subject, including a conversation checklist for managers.)
A regular one-to-one is an opportunity to start the conversation, which should always be in a private, confidential setting where the employee feels respected and at ease. It’s important to remember that no one should be forced into talking about a mental health issue.
Culturally sensitive conversations are important as people’s reactions will depend on factors such as their background, culture, race, sex, age, and religious and spiritual views.

Your role in providing and promoting early intervention opportunities

Recognition and early detection of mental health issues and/or distress play a vital role in people being able to access the support they need.
If a manager thinks a team member is experiencing poor mental health or distress, or they disclose it, it’s essential to have a conversation with them about their needs. It’s crucial the organisation has equipped managers for this role. This conversation should help a manager to agree appropriate support or adjustments and signpost to more expert sources of help where needed.
It’s important to remember that everyone’s situation is unique, including their experience of mental health if relevant – so two people with depression may have very different symptoms and need different adjustments, for example. This means supporting the person as an individual and listening carefully to what they feel would make a difference to them.
Employers should ensure there’s widespread promotion of effective support pathways for people, and offer sources of help such as counselling, an employee assistance programme (EAP) and OH services where possible.

It’s important that an organisation’s chosen OH service and EAP provider can offer appropriate support from trained professionals for people experiencing mental health issues and/or suicidal feelings. If an organisation does not have access to OH services or an EAP, they could still consider providing appropriate support for an employee who needs it. There are also several mental health charities providing helplines and other support, including Samaritans.

If someone is experiencing suicidal thoughts, the organisation should signpost them to their doctor, GP or specialist mental health services.

The CIPD/Mind People Managers’ Guide to Mental Health provides comprehensive practical advice on how to develop a mentally healthy workplace.

Good practice pointers for supportive listening

The following points are for people professionals to listen to employees and people managers. The same points are provided in the people manager guide.

To practice supportive listening:

avoid interruptions – switch off phones, ensure colleagues can’t walk in and interrupt
ask simple, open, non-judgemental questions
avoid judgemental or patronising responses
speak calmly
maintain good eye contact
listen actively and carefully
encourage the employee to talk
show empathy and understanding
be prepared for some silences and be patient
focus on the person, not the problem
avoid making assumptions or being prescriptive
do not promise to keep the conversation confidential if someone has confided suicidal thoughts
follow up with someone afterwards to check they are okay and have received help

Methods for people professionals to promote good mental health and reduce stress

Tackling stress effectively is a crucial part of preventing mental ill health in the workplace, and organisations need to develop an organisational framework for managing the risks to people’s health from stress.
The HSE’s Management Standards cover six key areas of work design (demands, control, support, relationships, role and change) that, if not properly managed, are associated with poor health and work-related stress. The HSE has developed a range of practical tools including a Stress Risk Assessment, and a Talking Toolkit, to help managers start a conversation with employees to identify key stressors.
Employers can also run regular employee mental health and/or engagement surveys across their workforce to evaluate the state of people’s mental health. Crucially, employers need to act on the findings and implement effective interventions to reduce the risks of stress.
Employers could consider using a wellness action plan as a proactive way to help people manage their mental health. These are outlined in the CIPD/Mind guide to mental health.
Managers need to build supportive relationships with team members and ensure workloads are manageable. They need to feel confident having sensitive and supportive conversations based on their experience and training. This includes not being afraid of listening to someone who shares suicidal thoughts and knowing how to signpost the individual to more qualified sources of help, such as their GP or doctor.

Good people management policies and practices

How people are treated and managed on a day-to-day basis is central to their mental wellbeing and engagement.
If an individual doesn’t trust their line manager, they are unlikely to discuss a sensitive issue such as mental health, stress or suicidal thoughts with them. The use of empathy and common sense by managers lies at the heart of effective management of psychological health in the workplace.
People managers should have a clear understanding of HR policies so that they can make helpful adjustments for people, manage absence and the return-to-work process in a supportive way, and take any mental health issue into account during performance management.
The organisation should ensure managers learn the key people management skills needed to support good health and wellbeing.
Employers and HR need to be particularly mindful of the adverse impact discrimination and a lack of inclusivity can have on the mental wellbeing of certain employee groups.
Employers should strive to develop cultures where unfair treatment is known to be unacceptable. To address the root causes of inequality, including racism, employers need to maintain a zero-tolerance approach to workplace discrimination. Employers must critically appraise their organisational culture from top to bottom and address discrimination at a systemic level in their organisations.
Policies dealing with equality and diversity, and bullying and harassment, should be visible and brought to life across the organisation. This means promoting the importance of respect between employees and ensuring people’s behaviour reflects the right values. Senior leaders need to take a visible lead on the issue and set the tone for fostering a working environment where people feel empowered to speak up.
Conflict between individuals is best dealt with at source, and at the earliest opportunity. This means challenging behaviours that cross the line into being inappropriate. Organisations should invest in the skills and competence of managers so that they are not afraid of tackling conflict. This also means encouraging informal, positive routes to resolution, such as mediation, where appropriate.

Managing discipline, dismissal and redundancy

Suspension and/or dismissal including for redundancy can have a significant detrimental impact on any individual’s mental health, regardless of their previous health history and personal resilience.
Confidentiality should be a given when it comes to disciplinary procedures, and the organisation should take steps to complete the process as discreetly as possible. For some individuals, it can be the humiliation of being disciplined or the nature of the allegations that can be too much to cope with.
Even where the organisation has carefully followed a thorough process and the dismissal is justifiable and proportionate, it’s likely to be a devastating outcome for the individual. Concern for the health and welfare of anyone involved in a disciplinary, dismissal or redundancy procedure should be a priority at every stage. This should include the proactive offer of access to occupational health assessment and/or other confidential listening/support services, such as an employee assistance programme. See the CIPD’s Guidance on redundancy on how to approach a redundancy process with compassion and protect people’s health and wellbeing
Suspension should be a matter of last resort after all other reasonable options have been considered. Suspension should only be considered if there’s a serious allegation of misconduct, and only then in certain circumstances will suspension be appropriate, as the Acas disciplinary and grievance guidance (UK) makes clear.

As a core component of the response to suicide risk, people professionals should role-model compassion and kindness, and show leadership by encouraging every manager and employee to take mental health issues seriously. They should take steps to educate and train the workforce about suicide. This includes fostering a culture in which people can reach out to those in distress, and where asking for help is not seen as a sign of weakness. It is important to remember that suicidal thoughts are much more common than is imagined.

Response to suicide risk

Training and support for managers

Much of the day-to-day responsibility for implementing the policies and adjustments to prevent stress and support people’s health and wellbeing relies on line managers. A manager will typically be the first point of contact if someone needs to discuss any concerns or feels distressed.

People professionals should ensure that all people managers are trained and have a broad understanding of the important factors relating to mental health and suicide, and know how to spot changes in employee behaviour that could signal potential warning signs of distress, including suicide risk. This should be embedded in a broader training programme that educates employees on supporting good mental health. However, it’s important that care is taken to not give line managers the impression that they are responsible for preventing suicide. Line managers themselves need support if they are dealing with a colleague experiencing suicidal thoughts.

People professionals can train and educate managers to have the confidence to not shy away from personal or emotional issues and feel comfortable having sensitive conversations with employees. Crucially, they need to be able to signpost to expert sources of support such as OH, medical services and an employee assistance programme, if available. This will require investment by employers in managers’ development and skills that should include a competency-based approach so they can demonstrate behaviours such as empathy and compassion, as well as specific education around mental health and suicide.

Dealing with a sensitive situation like suicide can be very challenging. Therefore part of the manager and employee training should highlight that they must be prepared to reach out for support themselves. Managers are not qualified to act as counsellors or give a diagnosis, and they need to understand the boundaries of their role. Employers therefore need to provide training and ongoing guidance. They also need to ensure managers know when and how to access support from HR and other sources of help if they are finding the employee’s circumstances challenging for their own wellbeing, as well as if they are unsure how to handle the situation.

It’s important the organisation keeps its framework and support for responding to suicide risk under review. This includes evaluating the effectiveness of its training provision for managers on mental health, as well as the guidance it provides to employees and managers on how to respond to a colleague who is in distress.

Asking directly about suicide

Asking about suicide can be a challenging experience and research shows that even specialist staff, such as counsellors, doctors and other mental health workers, can find this difficult. However, it’s important to remember that asking about suicide will not put the thought into someone’s mind. If a person is not suicidal (or they do not wish to talk about it), they will simply say they are not having thoughts. More importantly, asking about suicide shows that it's okay to talk about it and the employee might approach someone at a later stage, when they are ready.

It’s important managers understand when to listen and offer empathy, and when to signpost someone to a qualified health professional. This should be a GP or doctor in the first instance if someone discloses they are having suicidal thoughts.

Good practice points to asking questions about suicide with empathy and sensitivity, but also directly and clearly. People will often initially hint at suicidal thoughts or use a metaphor; ‘I just want to get out of everyone’s way’, or ‘I feel a burden to people’. The ‘rule of thumb’ is: if in doubt, ask. Do so simply and clearly: ‘Have you had thoughts about ending your life?’, or ‘Do things get so bad for you that you think about suicide?’ The actual words you use are less important than that they are clear and to the point. Samaritans advise that, if you’re worried someone is suicidal, it’s okay to ask them directly. This mean asking someone about their suicidal thoughts in a calm, confident, and sensitive but clear way. The fear of talking about suicide is always worse than actually talking about it.

If a person is asked and they say they are not having thoughts, it’s worth following up with something like, ‘If anything changes, please do feel able to talk to me about it.’ If someone says they are having suicidal thoughts, you may then decide it is appropriate to ask them if they have had any plans or intentions to act on those thoughts and encourage them to contact their GP or doctor. Knowing this additional information may help you signpost more effectively.

It’s not possible to offer full confidentiality if someone tells another employee or manager they have suicidal thoughts. If an employee asks if they can talk in confidence, the person told needs to make clear – consistent with any mental health policy – that they would have to sensitively share any information if they believed someone to be at risk. Therefore, it’s important the organisation makes clear in its guidance to whom managers and employees should speak if an individual shares suicidal thoughts with them, such as HR or a senior manager or OH services, if available.

An organisation’s suicide prevention approach needs to include training and awareness raising for employees and managers. This way they will know how to respond if they are worried someone is in distress and/or having suicidal thoughts.

If an employee discloses they are experiencing suicidal thoughts, they should be encouraged to contact their GP or doctor as the first step for support.

Samaritans offer practical advice and videos explaining simple actions that can help you be there for someone who is experiencing suicidal thoughts, as well as the importance of seeking professional support and when to step back to look after yourself. There are also a number of specialist charities who can provide immediate and specialist support to talk to someone with suicidal thoughts, via a helpline and/or their websites and by email.

Dealing with an immediate risk of suicide

The following guidance applies to anyone who thinks another person could be at risk of attempting suicide. It’s important to remember that people aren’t trained counsellors or clinicians so should remain within the boundaries of their role and offer signposting to professional help where needed. As the BSI Standard 30480 makes clear: "When someone is at immediate risk, taking action should be swift. Assessing danger involves evaluating risk factors such as whether the individual has a specific plan, access to means and a timeline. A well‑defined method with immediate access poses a higher risk than vague thoughts, without a plan.’

If it’s felt that the individual is in immediate danger of taking their own life, you should call an ambulance, and not leave the person alone.
The Samaritans have ‘in the moment advice’ when people are close to the point of attempting suicide. They might feel disassociated from others, the world around them, and even their own emotions – like they are in a bubble – and they may not show any visible signs of distress. To help burst this bubble, reach out and talk to them to help draw their attention back to the world around them – for example, ask simple questions that don’t focus on why they are feeling the way they do, but just allow them to be present. Perhaps asking them simply to focus on their breathing, or an object in the room, can help. It is important to make the suicidal person feel safe, connected and validated.
Once you have helped the person in danger access emergency care, there are several ways you can support them. Being present – online, on the phone or in person – and waiting for the ambulance with them can be helpful.
Also be aware of dangers to others. The means of suicide can sometimes put others at risk: jumping from a tall building or walking into traffic, for example. If you are concerned about the safety of others, you should also ask for the police when calling for an ambulance, as they have the powers (unlike ambulance staff) to safely contain a situation.
Looking after someone who is struggling with suicidal thoughts and feelings is hard. And it’s important to make sure you’re okay.

Source: Samaritans guidance If you think it’s an emergency

Being aware of access to means

Access to means is a major risk factor for suicide. In some cases, the decision to attempt suicide can be an impulsive act, and whether or not lethal means are available for someone to act on their suicidal feelings can be instrumental in preventing a suicide.

"Internationally, there is consistent evidence that restricting access to lethal means is associated with a decrease in suicide. Restricting access to means involves implementation of measures to reduce availability of and access to frequently used means of suicide."

Source: British Psychological Society

As part of its strategy to help prevent suicide, an employer needs to carry out a risk assessment of the workplace to eliminate or restrict the access employees have to locations or substances that could be used for suicide. The availability of lethal means will depend on the nature of the organisation’s business as well as its premises.

An organisation’s risk management process should also include steps to make sure customers or members of the public can’t access lethal means.

People professional's role in support after suicide

Suicide postvention plan

The term ‘suicide postvention’ refers to the actions taken to support people affected by a suicide death in the workplace when an employee has taken their own life, regardless of where the suicide took place.

Although it’s a rare event, every employer needs to be prepared to respond very quickly to a suicide death and to give support to employees. The organisation’s suicide postvention plan should cover the death of an employee as well as bereavement relating to the suicide of an employee’s family member or friend and a supplier or client. (Organisations will also need to consider the death by suicide of a former colleague; even if the individual has left the organisation, there could still be a significant impact among the colleagues they have left behind.)

The organisation’s postvention plan should include all the steps and organisational support outlined in the CIPD’s Guide on Compassionate Bereavement Support, including provision for a bereavement policy and compassionate leave, but there are further considerations to take into account following a suicide death. The guidance Responding to the Death by Suicide of a Colleague in Primary Care: A postvention framework describes ‘suicide postvention’ as "the provision of crisis intervention, support and assistance for those affected by a death by suicide" and sets out its four key aims:

To provide appropriate information about the death of a colleague and avoid misinformation or rumours.
To offer support to employees who are bereaved by suicide and help them deal with grief and any difficult emotions and trauma they may experience.
To address the stigma that is associated with a death by suicide.
To stabilise the environment, restore some semblance of order and routine and support employees to return to a state of normality.

A postvention framework could be a standalone plan or might be a section of the organisation’s business continuity plan. It’s better to be prepared, as if there is a death by suicide, it’s very difficult to respond without a plan, in the midst of the devastation.

The plan should provide access to wellbeing services and psychological support such as bereavement counselling, as well as practical support like compassionate leave. Smaller employers may not have an EAP and/or other wellbeing services, but every organisation should consider offering access to bereavement counselling and other support for employees. This could be on a temporary basis for as long as is needed, in the event of a death by suicide of a colleague. A number of charities provide services such as helplines that the organisation can also help people access.

Suicide bereavement can trigger mental health issues and leave those affected more vulnerable to a higher risk of suicide themselves. In industries with high levels of “access to means”, like construction, the possibility of a tradesperson witnessing a suicide first-hand is, unfortunately, very high. This risk makes it very important that an employer responds to a suicide death with compassion but is careful with the tone, content and language of its communications with employees and other stakeholders.

Compassionate and calm leadership

Following a suspected suicide of an employee, the organisation should appoint a senior manager to take responsibility for co-ordinating the organisation’s response to the death. They have an important role to play in leading the organisation through the crisis in a sensitive, calm and appropriate manner. It’s important the organisation ensures they have the appropriate practical and psychological support.

The senior lead should oversee all communications and ensure that the organisation provides immediate and effective support for people, both psychologically and operationally. It’s important to note that the psychological impact of a suicide can take time to present and an organisation should be ready to provide support at any time a person asks for it or appears to need it.

Part of their role is to ensure essential operations continue to run while making allowances for the understandable upset, grief and disruption caused by a sudden death. The senior lead should act as a bridge between the senior management team and other key stakeholders such as HR and relevant people managers. It’s crucial to build trust with employees following an employee’s death by suicide: people need to have confidence in leadership and know they are supported through a traumatic event.

The compassion and kindness shown by senior management will be instrumental in creating a caring and supportive culture that fosters peer support, where people can reach out if they need help. Having the courage to show their own vulnerability and talk about how they have personally been affected by the suicide can send an important message to people that it’s not a sign of weakness to express their feelings.

Compassionate leadership can encourage a healthy grieving process. This includes role modelling behaviour such as active listening and empathy, as well as being prepared to make temporary changes to work schedules or workloads to support people where needed. Leaders need to look after themselves, too, and seek mutual support from their peers and access more specialist help, such as counselling, if required.

Clear and effective communication

The organisation should consult with the deceased employee’s next of kin and, within reason, respect their wishes as far as is possible. This is likely to be an emotionally challenging task for the HR professional and/or manager who takes the lead. Every situation will need to be very sensitively and carefully managed based on how the employee’s close family want to be communicated with.

Communication guidelines for informing employees about a suspected suicide should be in place, although formal statements need to be tailored to the individual circumstances. There needs to be careful consideration of the type of language used to convey what has happened. It is important to remember that an individual who has died by suicide should be afforded the same level of confidentiality as they had in life. Death does not change a right to privacy and dignity.

The need for open, honest and factual communication with employees needs to be balanced with respecting the desire for privacy on the part of the bereaved family, and the family should be consulted when deciding what to disclose to employees. It’s critical to be sensitive to the needs of close family and friends bereaved by suicide. Think carefully about the way you choose to communicate; different approaches may be needed for different individuals. For example, if a team member was close to the employee who has died by suicide, it’s better to have the conversation in person, where you can show empathy and support, and signpost to expert help where needed.

The organisation should draft a statement, if appropriate, that sets out in sensitive and respectful language what has happened. This needs to be very mindful of the details that are provided. As well as respecting the wishes of the deceased individual’s family, the suicide may not be confirmed for several weeks or months, with the circumstances of an individual’s death possibly subject to a police investigation and, subsequently, a coroner’s hearing. Any formal mention of the death should refer to ‘suspected suicide’ and communication should not mention the method of suicide. Keeping communication channels open is important, as wishes may change and people may receive more information and details of the funeral and so on.

Depending on the size of the organisation and the level of contact between the deceased employee and the wider organisation, a tiered approach to communication may be appropriate. The employee’s team should be spoken to in person, and the organisation will need to think through who else needs to know, what they need to know and why, then tier communication accordingly. The (suspected) suicide will not affect everyone in the same way so it’s important not to make assumptions about how individuals will feel; an employee could have been close to people outside of their team, or maybe had a difficult relationship or meeting that people will remember.

If some details have been informally discussed by employees, this will need sensitive handling. It may be necessary to contain the flow of any rumours or misinformation across the workforce, as these can quickly circulate to fill any vacuum in communication.

Give employees guidance on the need to be careful about the use of social media. It’s understandable that people may want to share their thoughts about such an upsetting event, but the organisation needs to ensure that comments don’t stray into any negative or harmful areas. Depending on the circumstances, there could be media interest, and the organisation will need to establish how any press enquiries should be handled.

Be aware of the potential impact on other team members and employees

People who have been bereaved by suicide can be vulnerable to an increased risk of suicide. The British Psychological Society cautions that care needs to be taken with the type of language used to describe the death as well as the information that’s given on its circumstances, to avoid those most vulnerable being affected and having suicidal thoughts.

How an organisation communicates with employees about a suicide death can influence how they react and cope with it. It should communicate in a respectful and compassionate manner but avoid giving any specific details about the method or circumstances of the suicide.

In the rare event that a suicide death occurred in the workplace setting, the organisation should take particular care to manage the tone used and details shared by employees who may be witnesses, while also supporting these individuals in dealing with the shock and potential trauma they may experience.

Compassionate care and support

A kind and compassionate environment allows people to talk about how they feel, encouraging an ethos of peer support in the event of a suicide death. This should lay the basis for employees to recognise any colleagues who may be feeling vulnerable and at risk of self-harm or suicide, as well as encourage people to seek help. This culture should be conveyed in all of the organisation’s messaging, including in any specific communications following a suicide death. The organisation should ensure that people have the space and time to take breaks when needed to deal with the news and support each other.

The key priority of an organisation’s postvention plan is to provide appropriate wellbeing support for employees who have been affected by the suicide. Everyone’s experience of grief is different, but for people bereaved by a suicide, it can be complicated grief, with feelings of shame, guilt, rejection, isolation, trauma and even a sense of responsibility. This can leave a person who has been bereaved feeling stuck and struggling to cope with the emotional impact of their grieving. A death by suicide is likely to be sudden, which can add to the feeling of shock some people may feel.

The organisation needs to be particularly mindful and supportive of any individuals whom it knows may already be vulnerable. Support should be made available for some time afterwards.

Not everyone affected by bereavement, including a suicide bereavement, will need psychological support, but they need to know it’s available and how to access it. The organisation should take particular care to sensitively promote the available wellbeing services it has for bereaved employees, such as occupational health and employee assistance programmes that can offer mental health support, including bereavement counselling. If an organisation doesn’t normally provide such services, it’s worth considering offering them in this exceptional situation, and/or helping employees to access some of the helpful services provided by charities.

Some teams find benefit in having debriefing sessions. These may be facilitated by an external person, such as a bereavement specialist or counsellor, to help members of a team talk about their experiences, and to provide an opportunity to reflect on, and develop, a positive mental health culture.

It’s important to understand the ways differing cultures grieve, as different cultures practise a wide range of mourning rituals and respond to death in significantly different ways. Attitudes to suicide can also vary across different religions and faiths. The organisation should make every effort to understand and accommodate any religious/cultural practices or special arrangements. People managers should be trained to have a raised awareness of these issues. They need to ensure people managers are confident to have sensitive conversations with employees to check whether their religion or culture requires them to observe any particular practices or make special arrangements, and explore what extra support would be helpful.

People professionals are typically at the sharp end of dealing with the organisation’s response to a suicide death, including communicating with the next of kin and colleagues who were close to the employee who has died. As such they will be facing some difficult and emotional situations which they could find very distressing. HR professionals need to be fully supported and offered access to appropriate wellbeing services and psychological support where needed.

Practical steps

As well as emotional and psychological support, employees bereaved by suicide should be offered practical support. This should include time off through the organisation’s bereavement leave policy to attend a funeral (with the relatives’ permission) and/or to support the grieving process depending on the individual circumstances, as well as ongoing flexibility to help employees balance work with their grief. Managers need to know how to accommodate any leave requests and how any absence should be managed in relation to the organisation’s sickness absence and return-to-work processes.

Supporting people managers

The organisation should make sure that it reaches out to those who were closest to the person who has died, including their manager and colleagues in their team. The impact on close co-workers and the individual’s manager can be particularly devastating, and HR needs to be proactive in looking after their wellbeing. The type of support needed should be based on individual need, as everyone is likely to be impacted differently.

For a manager, the death of someone you managed on a day-to-day basis in a work context could be particularly upsetting and even traumatic. The organisation should ensure any manager who had supervisory responsibility for the deceased has the support they need, both practically and in terms of the wellbeing services available.

Handling operational aspects following suicide

Managing the practicalities

As well as ensuring there’s full support for the wellbeing of managers and employees following the death by suicide of a colleague, HR needs to co-ordinate the operational aspects.

A suicide could easily destabilise the whole team. As well as making available all necessary emotional and psychological support, the organisation needs to act quickly to make sure the team can continue to function operationally. At the same time, it needs to be flexible and allow for a period of disruption and adjustment where people are unlikely to feel able to work to full capacity. It could be that extra resources and/or management support are needed to support the team’s essential operations, and/or the timelines adjusted on any non-essential projects.

The empty desk or workstation of the employee will be a difficult reminder of their absence, and HR should discuss how to sensitively gather their belongings and return them to their next of kin. There needs to be careful thought about the timing – if it’s done immediately, this could cause colleagues to feel upset, and so a respectful time period should be allowed. The manager and close colleagues of the person who has died may want to share what is likely to be a very upsetting task. HR should ensure there’s appropriate support on hand for anyone who needs it. Family members/next of kin may wish to pick up any belongings in person or may prefer that these are sent. Whatever the preference, make sure that the way you return personal belongings shows true care for the deceased and their next of kin/family.

HR will also need to manage other practicalities, such as informing any external clients or stakeholders that the employee has died (without being specific about the cause of death) and alternative arrangements for future contact with the organisation. This process, and whether it’s necessary, will depend on the nature of the employee’s role. HR and the employee’s line manager will also need to arrange for an appropriate out-of-office redirect message. Although discussing and carrying out these tasks will be emotionally difficult, they are necessary and could help to avoid more distressing situations, for example clients calling and asking to speak to the individual.

HR will also need to manage the administration related to the death of an employee in service, including pension and death-in-service entitlements.

Holding a memorial service or tribute

It could help the grief process to organise an appropriate and sensitively staged tribute for the deceased employee. This may be as simple as giving people time off to go to the funeral, but HR needs to talk to the family to check whether work colleagues are welcome. Any memorial should be approached in the same way as if another colleague had died and not treated differently just because it concerns a death by suicide. This ensures the organisation doesn’t inadvertently romanticise the death by suicide.

How the organisation pays tribute to the deceased employee will depend on the individual situation and the wishes of those colleagues who were closest to the person. An appropriate event could be a remembrance service or memorial that honours the life of the deceased. Co-workers may also wish to give something positive back to the community to remember their colleague, such as organising a charity event to raise money for a cause that was close to the heart of the deceased.

It’s important to sensitively communicate with the family of the deceased employee in the planning of any tribute and listen to their wishes or concerns. The organisation needs to be mindful that the event could have an impact on the family or close friends of the deceased, and they may or may not want to be involved in it.

Different faiths and cultures can respond to death and the grieving process in significantly different ways and there needs to be sensitivity in observing these as part of any commemoration event. The organisation should discuss these with the deceased’s family where possible to ensure that any religious or cultural considerations are fully considered.

Further resources

Expert information and resources

There’s a range of organisations that provide expert information and resources about suicide prevention, as well as useful guidance to help employers develop a good mental health framework.

It’s also important to provide information on workplace support for employees. Health and wellbeing policies should link to other helpful services and resources, if you offer them, such as occupational health and employee assistance programmes, or point to external sources of support if you don’t offer them.

Read the case study about PwC's approach to responding to suicide risk.

This checklist is intended to serve as a reminder of the key actions to take if you are required to respond to risk of suicide.

Responding to risk of suicide checklist

PDF document 32.2 KB

This checklist outlines the key actions to take to respond to death by suicide.

Responding to death by suicide checklist

PDF document 43 KB

Acknowledgements

Authors and contributors

This guide was researched and written by Dr Andrew Reeves, Associate Professor in the Counselling Professions and Mental Health, and Rachel Suff, Senior Policy Adviser at the CIPD.

The CIPD is grateful to the individuals and organisations who gave their time and expertise to provide feedback to help inform this guide. These include:

• Andrew Berrie, Head of Workplace Wellbeing Programmes, Stephen Buckley, Head of Information, and Rich Green, Information Officer, Mind

• Gill Dix, Head of Workplace Policy, Acas

• Dr Emma Donaldson-Feilder, Occupational Psychologist, Affinity Coaching and Supervision

• Sally Evans, Wellbeing Lead, PwC

• Neil Greenberg, Professor of Defence Mental Health, King’s College London

• Abigail Hirshman, Director, Workplace Programmes (Mental Health and Wellbeing), Charlie Waller Trust and Consultant in Mental Health and Wellbeing at Work

• Dr Gail F Kinman CPsychol FBPsS FAcSS FHEA, Visiting Professor of Occupational Health Psychology, Birkbeck University of London

• Jacqui Morrisey, Assistant Director Research and Influencing, Samaritans

• Cheryl Samuels FCIPD, BA, Deputy Director of Workforce Transformation, NHS England and NHS Improvement

• Dr Rebecca Torry MB BChir MMedEd FRCGP, Trustee, Louise Tebboth Foundation and GP Nexus Health Group

• Dr Roxane L. Gervais, CPsychol CSci AFBPsS, Director, Practical Psychology Consultancy Ltd

• Lisa Ayling, solicitor and employment law specialist.

We are also grateful for helpful feedback from internal colleagues and experts at the CIPD, including Holly Ivins, Claire McCartney and Ben Willmott.

Supports
your CPD

This content contributes to your continuing professional development. Explore how CPD helps you build knowledge, strengthen your practice and support your professional growth.

About CPD

Latest guides

Guide

Skills matching: Using and deploying people’s skills effectively in the workplace

Guide and skills audit checklist to assess and plan skills development

For Members

All guides

Search

Popular searches

Suggestions

The people profession

Policy and insights

Knowledge hub

Learning

Membership

For organisations

Get involved

For your role

About us

Help

Responding to suicide risk in the workplace: A guide for people professionals

On this page