Imagine that one of the people you love the most on this earth has died.
It could be a spouse, a child, a parent, a sibling. When someone like that passes away, it rocks you to your core.
Then imagine going back to work. Even if you were given a few weeks, even a month, to mourn, going back to work feels weird. It’s as if you’re pretending everything is normal when in fact your world has exploded. Life goes on, work goes on, and everyone around you is so… normal. As if your loved one had no impact on the world. It just seems off.
That’s what your colleague is feeling right about now.
The work environment can often be a delicate place to navigate in ordinary circumstances. When a coworker dies, or when a colleague is grieving the loss of a loved one, it can be doubly difficult to know what to say and do. Writing a heartfelt condolence message for coworkers, and knowing how to keep a short condolence message professional, is paramount.
So, how do you properly express sympathy in the workplace?
Whether you choose to do so through a handwritten note, sympathy card, or a work email, here are some helpful condolence messages to use when dealing with grief and loss in the professional domain of clients, bosses, employees, and colleagues.
Sympathy Messages for Grieving Coworkers
We’ll start with what to say or write to a grieving coworker, then we’ll provide some ideas for the death of a coworker. All of these can apply to other professional relationships such as employer, client, customer, and so on.
Short Condolences to a Grieving Coworker
1. My heart goes out to you during this difficult time.
2. Please let me know if I can help in any way.
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3. My warm thoughts and sincere prayers are with you and your loved ones.
4. Please know I’m here for you in this season of mourning.
5. I am so sad to see you sad. My deepest condolences.
6. My heart is heavy for you.
7. Take time to grieve – we are all rallying around you.
8. You’ve given so much to me. Please let me know how we can lighten your burden.
9. In this heartbreaking time, I am here for you.
10. All of my love, prayers, hugs, and condolences.
Sympathy Messages from the Entire Team
11. Everyone is grieving along with you in your loss. She was an inspiration to us all, and the memory of her courage, kind words, and constant compassion will always be treasured among those who knew her.
12. We are fully behind you… take as much time as you need. You have the sincere condolences of the entire team in this challenging time.
13. Please accept our condolences and let us know how we can help you in any way.
14. Your loss is our loss, too. This is a time of grief and a tough time for us all. We want to honor you and your loved one’s memory in this season. Please take time to heal!
15. We are all surrounding you with positive thoughts, heartfelt prayers, and our warmest condolences.
16. There are no right words to convey our grief and sympathy for your loss. In this difficult time, we want you to feel our love and how much we miss you.
17. We want to express our condolences as well as our appreciation for you at this time of loss. We feel your sadness deeply, so please know that our caring thoughts are with you in every gesture of support and care.
18. Please let us know how we can help during this very sad time.
19. With deepest sympathy, from all of us.
20. The team will miss your smile as you mourn your loved one. Our sincerest condolences.
Related: 10 Alternative Things to Say instead of “Sorry for Your Loss”
Sympathy Message on Behalf of the Company
21. We are so very sorry for your loss. No words of sympathy can convey our hearts to you, so please accept our simple message of heartfelt condolences.
22. Our sympathies on the loss of a very special person, to someone who is very special to us.
23. Our thoughts and prayers are with you during this hard time.
24. On behalf of the company, we are here to help you through this.
25. We’ve seen you do great things… and you can do this. Please let us know if we can help you through this time of sorrow.
26. We are grieving with you. All of our condolences.
27. With heartfelt sympathy, ________.
28. From all of us to all of your loved ones, sincere sympathy.
29. Please accept our condolences and this small sympathy gift to help ease the burden.
30. We here at _________ are so very sorry for your loss. We will be there to support you at the upcoming memorial service, and beyond.
Sympathy Messages for Loss of a Coworker
You can show emotional support in the workplace no matter who has passed away. These are messages to send to a family member or colleague who is grieving another co-worker’s death.
Condolences to a Coworker’s Family
31. We are grieving with you, and simply put, have no words.
32. All of my thoughts and prayers are with you today.
33. She left behind a legacy to be proud of.
34. I will never forget your loved one. Please know that their absence will be sorely felt.
35. He is missed, but never ever forgotten! On behalf of all of us who worked with him every day, please accept our deepest sympathies.
36. My condolences to your beautiful family on the loss of such an amazing person. He had a positive impact on our organization and on us.
37. Please accept my well wishes and prayers for you, the loved ones of such a wonderful person.
38. Seeing the beauty through the pain. Thank you for sharing ____ with me!
39. All of my condolences on the loss of one of the best people I knew.
40. Thoughts, prayers, hugs, and anything else you need, from me to you.
Sympathy Messages for the Workplace
41. Grieving together will help heal the wounds they left behind.
42. I know your heart is hurting – please let me know how I can help.
43. I am so sorry to see you sad.
44. She left a hole I can never fill – but I will try my best to honor her memory!
45. Sincere sympathy for the loss we all feel.
46. We will remember _______ together, and someday smile through the tears.
47. I am so sorry for the loss you’ve experienced, and hope you reach out if needed. I’m ready and willing to provide support however I can.
48. Anytime, anywhere, I am here for you!
49. _______ was truly special, as are you.
50. My condolences on your loss… I can’t imagine what you are going through, but I’m here to help you through.
How to Write a Professional Condolences Email
Drafting a professional condolence email is not too much different than writing in a sympathy card. Here are a few of my favorite tips for keeping it clean.
Maintain a professional tone and style. Don’t be unprofessional or worse yet, flippant. Stay away from slang, emojis, or initialisms, and strive to avoid cliches. Even if you usually speak casually with the person you are emailing, under these circumstances, it is best to remain respectful and professional.
Keep the subject line clean and simple. Start with My Condolences, or With Deepest Sympathy, etc. This way they won’t assume it’s simply a work email and avoid it.
Express religious beliefs respectfully. Don’t assume they believe in the afterlife, and stay away from generic spiritualistic expressions like, “They’re in a better place.” It is, however, perfectly acceptable to say that you will be praying for them, as this is your belief system and religion – not necessarily theirs.
Don’t make it about you. For example, avoid saying “I know how you feel,” or “I also lost my mother.” It’s just not the right thing to do.
Tell a story. If you have happy memories of the one who has passed, feel free to share them. Chances are the recipient has never heard many of the things that happen in the workplace. Every new story or memory is like getting another moment with their loved one – it is a blessing and it is priceless.
Offering help. Don’t offer advice. It is a good idea to offer support and help, but not in a pushy way. For instance, if you know the family, you could offer to deliver a home cooked meal. If you don’t particularly know them well, a simple expression of condolences is often best. Don’t be too insistent about following up.
Verify their email. This goes without saying, but be sure that you have the correct email address! Preferably one that you’ve used before, to avoid your email going to their spam folder, never to be read. Remember though, don’t worry about following up if you don’t hear back from them…they’ll respond if and when they are ready to.
Use the decedent’s name. Sometimes people think that avoiding the late person’s name helps minimize the hurt. But in fact, the opposite is true. When you mention your co-worker’s loss by name, it not only validates their pain and feels more personal, but it’s also respectful and professional.
Remain genuine. This is perhaps the most important thing to remember on this whole list. Don’t makeup sentiments you don’t really feel.
Proofread. Check your spelling, punctuation, and grammar!
Sign off respectfully. Avoid signing off with sentiments like, “All of my love,” as it can be too informal and personal. Instead, use “All my best” or “With sympathy” before signing.
I hope you found some inspiration for how and what to write in a condolence note to your grieving coworker.
Writing sympathy messages or emails is never easy, especially within a professional setting. But with a little guidance, you’ll be well on your way to confidently clicking “send”…and providing a source of great comfort.
Read Next: How to Write Condolence Emails
