Managing deaths of staff members and students

    The death of a staff member or a student effects everyone at the workplace. In the midst of the shock and grief, many practical matters still need addressing while also dealing with the emotions of the situation. This page provides information on what you need to consider in the event of a death.

    There are many things to consider when a member of staff or a student dies. To support you in this work, use the following two checklists with suggested measures.

    If a student dies

    The person who becomes aware of a student's death needs to first inform the department's leadership, i.e. manager, head of department and/or director of studies. The department's leadership is then responsible for applying the below checklist.

    Gather information and contact next of kin

    • Gather information about what actually happened.
    • Find out if the student has close relatives at the University.
    • Make sure that next of kin are informed, for example by contacting the Police Service.
    • Contact next of kin to discuss how they would like the department to share information about the death.
    • Contact the University's Crisis Management Team.
    • If needed, contact the medical care system.

    Inform other relevant stakeholders

    • Contact the University chaplaincy to plan how students/staff are informed and for an opportunity to talk about what has happened. The chaplaincy is responsible for informing the relevant student union, Student Health Service and other relevant parties.
    • Inform relevant students about what has happened, the time and place of the memorial service, and where they can turn to for counselling.
    • Inform relevant staff about what has happened, the time and place of the memorial service, and where they can turn to for counselling.
    • Contact the International Office about the death if it involves an international student.

    Funeral and memorial service

    • Arrange a gathering where students and staff have the opportunity to share their grief, for example at a memorial service.
    • Select a representative from the department to attend the funeral. If it is not possible to attend, send flowers to the funeral.

    Practical matters and administration

    • Ensure that the student and their data are deleted from lists, learning platforms and study administrative systems.
    • Consult with the university director about whether to fly flags at half-mast.
    • If the death is due to an event that occurred in connection with studies, you may need to notify the Swedish Work Environment Authority.

    Media

    • If you need to communicate with the press, consult with the Communications Office.
    • Determine a time and place for the press conference.
    • Decide who will speak to the press and what information will be shared.

    Support the grieving process

    Follow-up

    • Decide on a time for follow-up, for example 6 months from the death.

    If a member of staff dies

    The person who becomes aware of the death of a member of staff needs to first inform the department's/unit's leadership, i.e. manager/head of department. The leadership is then responsible for applying the below checklist.

    Gather information and contact next of kin

    • Gather information about what actually happened.
    • Find out if the member of staff has close relatives at the University.
    • Make sure that next of kin are informed, for example by contacting the Police Service.
    • Contact next of kin to discuss how they would like the department/unit to share information about the death.
    • Contact the University's Crisis Management Team.
    • As needed, contact the medical care system.

    Inform other relevant stakeholders

    • Contact the University chaplaincy to plan how students/staff are informed and for an opportunity to talk about what has happened. The chaplaincy is responsible for informing the Occupational Health Service and other relevant parties.
    • Inform relevant members of staff about what has happened, the time and place of the memorial service, and where they can turn to for counselling.
    • If the member of staff who has died is a teacher, inform the relevant students about what has happened, the time and place of the memorial service, and where they can turn to for counselling.

    Funeral and memorial service

    • Arrange a gathering where students and staff have the opportunity to share their grief, for example at a memorial service.
    • Attend the funeral or appoint someone from the department/unit to attend the funeral.
    • Order flowers for the funeral.

    Practical matters and administration

    • Inform Payroll Administration about the death.
    • Ensure that the name of the staff member is removed from registers and address lists.
    • Consult with the university director about whether to fly flags at half-mast.
    • If the death is due to an event that occurred in connection with work, you may need to notify the Swedish Work Environment Authority. Manage work-related injuries and incidents.

    Media

    • If you need to communicate with the press, consult with the Communications Office.
    • Determine a time and place for the press conference.
    • Decide who will speak to the press and what information will be shared.

    Support the grieving process

    Follow-up

    • Decide on a time for follow-up, for example 6 months from the death.
    Moa Eirell
    4/12/2024