Supporting your people when it matters most: The AFTER Charter
Each year, thousands of people in the UK are impacted by suicide. It is estimated that 135 people are affected by every single loss. Those closest to the individual are up to three times more likely than the general population to take their own lives. This leaves nearly 100,000 people every year facing a unique kind of grief who need our support.
Suicide&Co is proud to introduce the AFTER Charter: a complete suicide bereavement pledge designed to give organisations an approach to navigating suicide loss in the workplace. We provide managers with the exact tools, language, and knowledge needed to navigate suicide loss with confidence, empathy, and clear steps.
There is a distinct, unshakeable "before" and "after" when you lose someone to suicide, and our charter exists to provide a steady, compassionate roadmap through the uncharted territory
The 5 Pillars of the AFTER Charter
The AFTER Charter provides UK organisations with an evidence-based, BSI-aligned strategy to respond swiftly, ethically, and compassionately when suicide impacts your workforce.
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Replacing standard 3–5 day compassionate leave policies with dedicated, trauma-informed protection.
Dedicated Suicide Bereavement Leave: Charter signatories commit reviewing their compassionate leave policy in line with our recommendations
Zero-Barrier Access: Leave is granted immediately without requiring death certificates or formal evidence.
HR Integration: Suicide loss guidelines, legal/inquest awareness, and checklists are embedded directly into employee handbooks.
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Immediate stabilisation and response for the business when an employee loses someone to suicide or colleague dies by suicide.
24-Hour Expert Consultation: HR and leadership gain rapid access to our video consultations within 24 hours of an incident to map out next steps.
Crisis Communications Protocol: Utilising pre-drafted, compassionate communication templates for team announcements to handle the ripple effect and avoid compounding trauma.
Team Stabilisation: Providing collective support tools for managers handling grieving departments.
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Ensuring returning employees receive long-term, compassionate reintegration rather than sudden performance expectations.
3-Month Soft Return Plan: Committing to a formal 3-month phased reintegration plan featuring flexible working hours, adjusted workloads, and remote work options.
Grief Recovery Action Plan (GRAP): Issuing mental health wellness workbooks (such as the GRAP) to returning staff to help identify workplace stressors and triggers.
Person-Centred Milestones: Regular, non-intrusive check-ins focused on individual well-being and workload balance.
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Equipping line managers with practical tools so they never feel nervous or unsure about how to support a bereaved colleague.
Manager Handbooks: Providing managers with lived-experience-informed guides on navigating complex grief and workload management.
Team Support Guides: Equipping colleagues with clear guidance on what to say, what to do, and how to comfortably interact with a returning team member.
On-Demand Training Access: Access to thought leadership sessions and on-demand video modules on creating supportive workplace environments.
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Positioning the workplace as the primary "front door" connecting employees directly to expert support.
Embedded Support Infrastructure: Placing direct links and QR codes to early bereavement support, counselling service and organisation support.
Cultural Awareness Sessions: Hosting annual talks or thought leadership workshops to dismantle stigma surrounding suicide-related grief.
Annual Signposting Audit: An annual pledge review ensuring managers consistently refer bereaved staff to Suicide&Co's specialised care.
Why now?
When Suicide&Co conducted our first workplace survey in 2022, the data revealed a stark and painful reality: 75.6% of participants felt awkward returning to work after a suicide loss. That single stat underscored just how ill-equipped traditional workplace structures were to handle complex grief.
In response, we built a comprehensive suit of guides, established a membership network, and spent years working alongside businesses to change that narrative. Yet, the momentum truly accelerated last year following the release of the British Standards Institution (BSI) guidance, which signalled a major shift toward trauma-informed workplace standards.
Now is the moment to transform that momentum into meaningful, standardised action. The A.F.T.E.R. Charter builds directly on that robust BSI guidance, focusing specifically for suicide loss, covering everything from dedicated leave policies to phased three-month return plans and lived-experience manager toolkits.
Crucially, the charter serves as a direct link to our expert services right when a crisis hits as our early bereavement support is embedded into the framework, meaning employees can be connected directly to our professional team as early as their first week of loss.
By making the workplace the primary "front door" for immediate support and direct signposting, we ensure that no one has to navigate the overwhelming "after" of suicide loss without a compassionate safety net in place
Key reasons to become a signatory
Avoiding churn
56% of workers say they'd consider quitting if their employer failed to provide proper support after a bereavement. The charter helps managers welcome them back smoothly and shows your workforce that you actually have their backs when life gets tough, not just on paper.
Team confidence
Stop managers and team members from freezing or guessing what to do when someone is navigating a loss. Give people exact phrases to use so they can talk directly without worrying about "saying the wrong thing." Alongside practical checklists, conversation guides, and safety plan templates they can use right away.
Prevent absenteeism
Mental health is the number one cause of long-term sick leave, now at a 15-year high of 9.4 days. Proactive support gets people back safely, and avoids messy, uncoordinated responses that cause secondary trauma or damage to reputation.
What happens when you become a signatory?
Instant Access to the Charter Pack: Receive access to all our guidance and templates under each pillar via an easy access link,
Onboarding: If needed you can connect directly with the Suicide&Co team for a guidance session to review your current areas of focus.
Official Signatory Recognition: Join our list of signatories on the website and promote your involvement using our promotional templates.
Founding Signatories
