The phrase “for better, for worse” defines marriage intraditional wedding vows, but the idea of being there to supportanother person in good times and bad applies to other types ofrelationships too.

Friends help each other cope with adversity, forging strongbonds through hard times. And that’s true of enduringemployer-employee relationships also. Being there for employees whoare going through tough times is not only the right thing to do,it’s good for business.

A SHRM survey found approximately 90 percent ofemployers provide bereavement leave for employees. Most companiesallow three or four days off, and employees may have the option touse other PTO or unpaid leave to deal with a loss.

But keep in mind people heal in different ways: Some may needmore than the allotted bereavement leave to recover, whereas othersfind comfort in focusing on work. And employees and their managersconfront other situations that require support, such as an employee’s or family member’s serious illnessesor a sudden financial setback.

Managers can’t anticipate the exact circumstances that willaffect employees’ ability to function normally on the job, but theycan plan a support strategy to assist team members who are dealingwith a difficult time.

Being there for employees who are enduring a hardship is vitalno matter what kind of organization you manage or whether employeesare onsite or remote team members. In fact, for the growing number of companies with remote-onlyworkforces, it may be even more important for relationshipbuilding.

Providing time off for employees who have suffered a loss is thefirst step, and most employers have such a policy in place. Butsupporting employees through difficult times requires much more,and there are creative ways to provide support that have little orno budgetary impact. For example, we started a voluntarycontribution program which built a fund we use to help team membersweather hard times, raising $36,000 since 2013, of which $31,000has been distributed.

Our program has helped employees who were dealing with a deathin the family, hospitalizations, or family financialreversals due to a spouse’s job loss. The program provides aproactive way for employees to help each other as well asmuch-needed relief to families suffering a hardship.

The program has also brought our workforce together as a team,which is important no matter what the workplace configuration butperhaps especially for an all-remote workforce like ours.

One obstacle for people who want to help a coworker who isdealing with a serious problem is that they just don’t know what tosay. This isn’t a barrier that only arises in the workplace — it’sa universal problem.

HR professionals and managers can help channel that impulse tooffer comfort or help into positive action in several ways, servingas a go-between to relay offers of meals or assistance,condolences, requests for attendance at a memorial event and othercommunications between coworkers.

As the company’s representative, the HR liaison or front-linemanager can reach out to the employee who is experiencing ahardship, letting him or her know what company bereavement policiesare, arranging additional PTO or unpaid leave if needed andcoordinating the transition of any work that needs to be redirectedto colleagues.

HR or the affected employee’s manager might also coordinatesigning and sending a sympathy card, arranging to send flowers orsimilar activities to express condolences.

No two employees are alike, so there isn’t a one-size-fits-allapproach to supporting employees through the most difficult timesin life. A program that works for one company won’t necessarily beright for every business. But leadership is about providing a paththrough hard times, and all employees face challenges at somepoint.

There are gestures managers can make to help team members cope,and being there is not only the right thing to do, it’s also goodfor business because it creates strong and resilient teams.