It’s currently Men’s Health Week (9-15 June) and to recognise the power of men opening up and telling their stories, especially at work around their mental and emotional health, we invited this week’s contributor to speak to us about his experience of grief. He shares the learnings from making a film about losing his dad called ‘rites’ and using it to start conversations in workplaces.
Over to Alvin…
Storytelling—especially through moving image and sound—can open people up in ways that words alone often cannot.
In workplaces, where grief is often hidden or ignored, storytelling can be a spark for much-needed conversations because it gives people permission to be real, to uncover issues long left unspoken and to seek or offer support.
When my father died, I was nine years old. I carried that loss with me for 25 years. It wasn’t until I travelled back to the Philippines to organise a memorial for him that I fully grasped what his death had taught me.
The Hidden Impact of Grief on Leadership
Loss has a way of shaping us in ways we may not even realise. Many of the world’s most influential leaders—from Prime Ministers to CEOs—experienced childhood bereavement. In some industries, such as hedge funds, early-life adversity is even seen as a predictor of resilience and high performance. I have also heard of a WhatsApp group called “Dead Dads Club”, whose members are senior executives of a major media organisation.
Yet, to truly unlock our potential, we must first face our past, acknowledge our grief and heal. Only then can we be free—free to lead, to create, to build lives of meaning.
For those who support bereaved colleagues, this is an essential insight. Instead of seeing grief as something to be “moved on” from, we should recognise it as a defining life event—one that, when properly understood, can foster growth, leadership, and deeper connections with others.
How bereavement affects work
Most organisations still treat grief as an isolated event, offering only a few days of compassionate leave. But bereavement doesn’t operate on a timetable. It can affect focus, productivity, and mental health for months—sometimes years.
Companies that genuinely care about their employees must go beyond short-term gestures and build long-term, meaningful support systems:
- Grief-Informed Leadership – Managers should be trained to understand how loss affects employees and how to offer compassionate, practical support
- Flexible Leave and Work Arrangements – The ability to take time off when grief resurfaces (not just in the immediate aftermath) can be transformative
- Mental Health and Peer Support – Providing access to grief counselling, employee-led bereavement groups, or mentorship from those who’ve experienced similar losses fosters a culture of care
But beyond policies and programmes, what truly creates a supportive environment is openness. And this is where storytelling can play a vital role.
The Power of Storytelling in the Workplace
Through sharing rites I’ve seen how film can serve as a powerful tool for supporting colleagues through grief. A well-told story can move people in ways that statistics or policies cannot. It creates a space where people feel safe to open up, to acknowledge the losses they’ve experienced and to start important conversations.
By simply watching a story unfold on screen, people often feel seen—as if someone has put into words and images what they have struggled to express themselves. It can give them permission to process their grief, to seek help, or to support others in their workplace who may be silently struggling.
It’s about humanising grief and fostering a culture where people don’t feel they have to suppress or hide such a fundamental human experience.
Moving forward
Grief is not something to be ignored or rushed through. If we want to live fully, we must first face our losses, our demons, and our past. True liberation comes when we acknowledge our pain, heal from it, and use it as a force for good.
rites is my way of doing that—of honouring my father, embracing what matters most, and reminding others to do the same. Because in the end, life isn’t just about what we say we believe. It’s about how we live those beliefs, how we show up for those we love, and how we create a world where no one has to navigate grief alone.
About the Author
Alvin Carpio is the director of the short documentary film rites, which follows his journey to the Philippines to organise a memorial service for his father—25 years after his passing, when Alvin was nine years old. The film explores themes of childhood bereavement, leadership, hope and healing. rites will be released this Father’s Day (this Sunday, 15th June).
Through both personal experience and professional work, Alvin is dedicated to reshaping bereavement support—ensuring that grief is not just acknowledged, but understood, embraced, and transformed into a force for growth.
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