The head of the Irish Hospice Foundation has called for legislation that will force employers to grant bereavement leave to workers.
"If a person loses a close relative, like a spouse or a child, especially in circumstances where it was a sudden death, there ought at least be a minimum number of days compassionate leave," said Eugene Murray, chief executive of the IHF.
"There's nothing at the moment. Generally employers are compassionate, but if you do get somebody unsupportive and uncaring, then workers could be docked pay when they take any time off.
"There should be some national policy. When someone loses a parent, or a child, it should be five days, and for other close relatives, it should be three days." The foundation would lobby the Government to introduce legislation, Mr Murray said.
He was speaking after the launch of a new guide that aims to help employers and colleagues deal with what has been described as the taboo subject of grief in the workplace.
The report, called Grief at Work - Developing a Bereavement Policy, offers advice for employers and managers in dealing with grieving colleagues. It says it is important for managers to acknowledge the person's loss, listen sympathetically and be flexible about the person's return to work. They should attend the funeral, if possible.
About 30,000 people die in Ireland each year, the report says, and about one in 10 of an organisation's workforce can be directly affected by bereavement in any given year.
Managers need to remain supportive in the long term, as it can take several years for someone to begin feeling "normal" again. That might mean changing a person's duties or roster, or simply talking to them regularly about how they were doing. Companies will benefit from being sympathetic. Workers will feel more comfortable at work and be less likely to take sick leave.
Co-workers may not know what to say to someone who is grieving, and often end up saying nothing, said report author Breffni McGuinness. This is the wrong approach.
"We all feel awkward and sometimes let that stop us talking to the person," said Mr McGuinness. "They worry that they'll upset them - but they're upset anyway, and nothing you're going to say will make them more upset." For example, he says, "a simple 'I'm sorry to hear about the death of your mother' can be very helpful to someone who is grieving".
Mr McGuinness said he had just started a new job when his mother died, but the IHF was compassionate in its dealings with him. "They acknowledged her death, they attended the funeral rituals, and my line manager told me there was no pressure, and I could do whatever I needed to do."
The report was launched by Irish Congress of Trade Unions general secretary David Begg, who testified to the importance of extending sympathy.
"When I was young I used to try and get out of funerals on the grounds that nobody would notice - until it came to my own family. My father's funeral was 35 years ago, and I can still remember everybody, pretty much, who was at that funeral."