Finding Support While Navigating Loss

Life can be unpredictable. In the blink of an eye, everything can change.

Some moments make your heart tingle with joy, radiating excitement like sunshine: buying your first home, getting married, welcoming a new pet or hitting a personal milestone.

Other moments hit with the opposite force, making you want to sink under the covers, weighed down by the unimaginable grief of losing a loved one or missing an important opportunity.

When that happens, how do you find the strength to still show up to work as your best self?

Attending a team meeting or leading a virtual training may feel impossible when tears or raw emotion feel ready to spill at any moment.

Put simply — it’s hard.

This past June was an incredibly difficult month for me. I experienced two sudden losses in my family within days of each other. The first came unexpectedly, and the second shortly after, leaving my family and me reeling.

That month tested me in ways I hadn’t faced before. Between memorial services, hospital visits and supporting my loved ones, I confronted grief on a scale I hadn’t known was possible. Before then, I hadn’t suffered a loss like that in my lifetime. This feeling of grief was entirely new to me and mourning more than one loved one at once made me feel guilty.

But you know what I didn’t feel guilty about? Taking bereavement leave and leaning on my employer for support.

I reached out to HR, and they shared what Cox provided in terms of support:

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Cox employees and their household members receive eight free confidential counseling sessions per topic, per family member, per year via phone, text, chat, video or face-to-face. After that, they can continue treatment through their insurance. Counselors are available 24/7 to provide support for personal and work-related challenges such as stress, anxiety, grief, relationships and more.
• Calm app: Calm is a top-rated app for meditation, relaxation, focus and sleep. Cox employees receive a free subscription, with the ability to add up to five dependents over the age of 16, each with their own login.
• Time off: Because of Cox’s bereavement and flexible PTO policy, I was able to take enough time off to start to get re-centered. 

Coming back to work after everything my family and I went through wasn’t easy, and I’m still on my path to healing. But having the resources my HR team provided in my time of need, along with the kindness and support of my immediate team members, made finding my footing a little smoother. Their texts, check-ins and genuine care surrounded me in a way I didn’t expect — and will always remember. 

Join a team that stands by you — in work and in life. Explore new career opportunities at Cox.