Coworker died this weekend

I'm not sure what is proper. I'd say at least week after the co-workers funeral, if the family can deal with it.
We have had 2 co-workers die in 2014. Both had private offices....right next to each other in fact.
The first came down with the flu on Wednesday, and passed away on Saturday. She was only 47, a long distance runner, and outwardly in perfect health. The company brought in a special cleaning crew to sanitize the office, but it was two years before her siblings came in and boxed up her stuff so someone else could use the office.
The second was only slightly less rapid. Happened 10 months after the first death. Women was diagnosed with cancer and 6 weeks later passed away. She was 57. She had 2 daughters in college and it was 6 months before they were home for the summer and came and cleaned out their mom's office. It remained unused for another 6 months or so.

But the corporation that owns us doesn't consider a position vacant until 3 months after a person leaves (or passes away in this case). So there is no hurry to be able to reuse a desk or office.
 
But the corporation that owns us doesn't consider a position vacant until 3 months after a person leaves (or passes away in this case). So there is no hurry to be able to reuse a desk or office.

Ahh I see what you’re saying. Ours is considered vacant after 3 days of no show/no contact. Maybe that’s the answer I’m looking for?
 
I mean if my husband died on Saturday and his place of employment called me on Monday asking me when I was coming to claim his stapler, I would be thinking WTH?
I agree, it should have been a little longer before they contact asking about his personal effects, which I assume is more like photo's, coffee mug, etc not a stapler, which I assume would be company property.
 


It happened several times where I worked. The office was cleaned out as soon as the Supervisor was informed.
The IT dept would go in and wipe the computer (this was before digital pictures so nothing like that needed to be saved).

Personal items were kept by the Office Manager who contacted the family member on the contact form usually after the first week passed. Then the family member could decide when they wanted to come by and get the items which were already boxed up for them.
 
I'm not sure what is proper. I'd say at least week after the co-workers funeral, if the family can deal with it.
We have had 2 co-workers die in 2014. Both had private offices....right next to each other in fact.
The first came down with the flu on Wednesday, and passed away on Saturday. She was only 47, a long distance runner, and outwardly in perfect health. The company brought in a special cleaning crew to sanitize the office, but it was two years before her siblings came in and boxed up her stuff so someone else could use the office.
The second was only slightly less rapid. Happened 10 months after the first death. Women was diagnosed with cancer and 6 weeks later passed away. She was 57. She had 2 daughters in college and it was 6 months before they were home for the summer and came and cleaned out their mom's office. It remained unused for another 6 months or so.

But the corporation that owns us doesn't consider a position vacant until 3 months after a person leaves (or passes away in this case). So there is no hurry to be able to reuse a desk or office.
Each type of office is different. Our it would just be a few days and at most a couple of weeks, as if you don't come sign the paperwork the spouse and dependents would lose their extended medical insurance. The office manager likes to have the personal items ready when the family comes so no need for an extra trip.
 
This poor family is grieving , and I am sure the last thing on their mind is about picking up things from the desk. You could always take a picture of everything on the desk or around and then just put it in a box and leave it in your office for them to pick them up later. I am so sorry to hear about the issue. Not easy I am sure....
 


Each type of office is different. Our it would just be a few days and at most a couple of weeks, as if you don't come sign the paperwork the spouse and dependents would lose their extended medical insurance. The office manager likes to have the personal items ready when the family comes so no need for an extra trip.

That would be COBRA and under Federal law they have 60 days to do that.
 
At our office it would probably be done in a few days and after hours. The supervisor and HR manager would do it together and the HR manager would keep the employees personal belongings to give to the family.
 
At my work, many things I am working on are time sensitive and confidential. I would expect my immediate boss would need to go through my files and possibly also quickly contact my spouse to make sure I didn't have files with me/at home at the time.

I, personally, would not want to go through my DH's office or make him come go through mine. I would hope they would just quickly box up my stuff and get it to my spouse.
 
Interesting to think about. :scratchin I've been at my workplace for almost 13 years and in that time, not a single one of my co-workers has passed away. Many of us have been in our workspaces so long they resemble extensions of our homes. It would be eerie to have a "here today gone tomorrow" scenario where they were just kind of wiped away overnight, but I suppose life does go on. One thing for sure is that the office would be packed up by someone in the company, the family wouldn't be called on to do it. I'm also thinking that if my DH died, it probably wouldn't even cross my mind to go see about his office, at least not right in the immediate aftermath.
 
That would be COBRA and under Federal law they have 60 days to do that.
Not in Canada, as basic medical is with the provincial government. These are extended benefits (dental, vision. prescription) and group life insurance. There is no law saying thy have to keep anyone on them after the death of the employee. Legally it can terminate at the end of the month the policy is paid to.
 
It should be relatively easy to box up his or her items to get the cubicle or office cleared out for the next person. I would then set the box(es) aside somewhere to see if anyone contacts you to pick them up. If it were my me at my work where there's no clear cut policy on this, I'd probably give them about 3-4 weeks, 30 days, to come by. If I heard nothing, I'd ship them to their address if I knew they had someone still living at the residence.
 
Not in Canada, as basic medical is with the provincial government. These are extended benefits (dental, vision. prescription) and group life insurance. There is no law saying thy have to keep anyone on them after the death of the employee. Legally it can terminate at the end of the month the policy is paid to.
Yes, different than the U.S. Company must offer 18 months of COBRA health coverage after an employee leaves for any reason. I'm in California and here state law mandates 36 months.
 
It happened in my office, although I was not working with the person who was killed in a motorcycle accident. I believe management cleaned out the desk first thing, just so that everything wasn't sitting there as a reminder. I'm sure they boxed up the personal stuff for his family. They also had a grief counselor come in.
 
So kind of an update on this.

Office manager asked to clean out the workspace by the end of day today. So we did. We put her stuff in 3 boxes and left them in office manager’s office. Office manager said he will contact family to see how they want her stuff delivered (picked up, mailed, or hand delivered at her funeral).
 
So kind of an update on this.

Office manager asked to clean out the workspace by the end of day today. So we did. We put her stuff in 3 boxes and left them in office manager’s office. Office manager said he will contact family to see how they want her stuff delivered (picked up, mailed, or hand delivered at her funeral).
Delivery at the funeral just seems odd.
 
Reading this thread is sad. It's sobering to see how little many of us really mean to our companies, places so many devote so much of their lives to. I know that life goes on and all that, but for some people their careers bring such a sense of accomplishment and connection, and then poof. It's boxed up and carted out and the next person comes in. It's reality, but it's also sad.
 

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