DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
HEADQUARTERS
8725 JOHN J. KINGMAN ROAD
FORT BELVOIR, VIRGINIA 22060-6221
June 1, 2015
MEMORANDUM FOR DLA EXECUTIVE BOARD
SUBJECT: Guidance – Employee Death in Service
As we continue to take steps to bolster and fortify the resilience of our workforce, one
particularly sensitive area is how the agency deals with the death in service of a DLA employee.
While this is thankfully a rare occurrence, the death of a team member is a significant and
stressful event for co-workers and friends. DLA organizations that experience a loss of a team
member will face a number of sensitive issues, and this guidance is designed to address questions
that supervisors, managers, and employees may have about their roles and responsibilities
regarding the family, staff, and others.
In addition to the DLA Instruction that addresses the topic (DLAI 6105, “Notification for
Serious Illness, Injury, or Death of Civilian Employees,” found at
https://hqc.dla.mil/issuances/Documents/i6105.pdf), J1 has developed the attached toolkit with
standardized guidance to assist organizations dealing with the death of an employee. Attachment
1 is guidance that provides an orderly and consistent approach for supervisors to follow during
these difficult circumstances. Attachment 2 is a Supervisory Checklist covering the necessary
steps a supervisor must take after such an event. Attachment 3 is designed to provide employees
guidance on steps they can and should take to ensure their family members have the necessary
information (e.g., points of contact, benefits forms) in the unfortunate event of their own death.
The attachments are available at:
https://eworkplace.dla.mil/sites/S8/Pages/toolkit----death-of-DLA-employee.aspx.
This is a useful site for supervisors and managers to bookmark for easy access should
they face a loss in their organizations. For additional assistance or more information, please
contact Mr. Mike Wlazlak, DSN 771-5478 or email: michael.wlazlak@dla.civ or your DLA
Human Resources Customer Account Manager.
Brad Bunn
Director
DLA Human Resources
Attachments:
1. What To Do When an Employee Dies in Service
2. Supervisory Checklist
3. Employee Information
BUNN.BRADLEY
.B.1229635146
Digitally signed by
BUNN.BRADLEY.B.1229635146
DN: c=US, o=U.S. Government, ou=DoD,
ou=PKI, ou=DLA,
cn=BUNN.BRADLEY.B.1229635146
Date: 2015.06.02 17:06:35 -04'00'
Attachment 1
DLA Guidance for Supervisors & Managers
What to Do When an Employee Dies In Service
The following guidance establishes a standardized enterprise process in the event an employee
dies in service. Employees working in offices who have lost a staff member may experience a
number of feelings over the days and weeks after the event. Strong personal bonds are often
formed within work groups, and the experience of grieving a coworker's death can be profound.
Offices which have recently experienced a loss are presented with a number of issues. There may
be difficulties with productivity and attendance for those most affected by the loss. Decisions
about the employee's possessions, workspace and job responsibilities will have to be made; it is
important that these decisions are made with sensitivity for all those affected. Acknowledging
and discussing the impact of the loss can help with the process.
In these unfortunate circumstances, supervisors and managers are left with questions about what
their roles and responsibilities are to the family, staff, and enterprise. This guidance provides an
orderly and consistent approach for supervisors to follow during this most stressful event.
What do I do upon learning of the loss of a civilian employee?
The first step is to review the DLA Instruction 6105, Notification for Serious Illness, Injury, or
Death of Civilian Employees at this link, https://hqc.dla.mil/issuances/Documents/i6105.pdf.
This policy establishes a systematic process for providing notification and assistance in matters
related to serious illness, injury, or death of civilian employees. DLA activities have an
important responsibility to provide assistance and counsel to employees, their families, or
designated next of kin in connection with the serious illness, injury, or death of an employee
whether it occurs on or off the job.
When do I contact DLA Human Resources and what happens after I do?
You should immediately contact your Customer Account Manager (CAM) at the DLA Human
Resources Services (DHRS) for assistance in providing information to the deceased employee’s
family, or designated next of kin regarding benefits, entitlements, and responsibilities
(https://employees.hr.dla.mil/contactus/). It should be noted the DHRS cannot provide
Management/Supervisors with family members, designation of beneficiary, or next of kin
information due to privacy considerations. DHRS will assign a single point of contact to each
case and will inform beneficiaries of any potential benefits entitlements in writing. All necessary
claim forms will be provided promptly, and assistance given in completing and processing the
forms. You should also contact your Payroll Center of Excellence/Timekeeper for proper coding
of the employee’s time sheet and to be sure all necessary documents that payroll requires are
provided in a timely manner.
How to tell my employees about the news?
Be sure to set a time for all to meet, or call in if you have employees not co-located with you. Be
as straightforward as possible when addressing your staff and share insight and appreciation on
DLA Guidance
What to Do When an Employee Dies In Service
2
how your employee contributed to the team and office. Let your staff know that they may
request leave to take the day off, if needed. If some of your employees were away on vacation or
ill, try to reach them by phone. If that is not possible, then arrange to meet with them in person
on their return. This information is best delivered in person whenever possible, rather than
through e-mail or other written announcement. Advise your staff that to the maximum extent
possible and subject to mission requirements, employees will be permitted to use annual leave,
compensatory time, or credit hours to attend funeral or memorial services for a co-worker should
the services be scheduled during the duty day.
Should I involve Employee Assistance Program (EAP) counselors and/or the Chaplain
when discussing with my staff?
When informing the staff, arranging for grief counseling by an EAP counselor and/or Chaplain
(if available) is an effective approach, however, not always feasible. In the days following the
news, you should arrange for an EAP counselor and/or Chaplain to come to the workplace to be
available for your staff. When you contact EAP, you will be asked to provide whatever relevant
information is available regarding the death of the employee and your assessment of the staff’s
reaction to the situation. A one to two hour debriefing session or meeting for employees should
be scheduled as soon as possible. This meeting should be voluntary. Interested employees are
encouraged to attend and should be given an opportunity to speak. There may be individual
employees, identified by you or by the EAP counselors, who may need one-on-one attention, due
to the severity of their grief reaction.
What if my employee is not co-located with me?
When warranted, another DLA activity more conveniently located may be requested to provide
personal notification to the family or persons designated. DLA activities will provide personnel
to accomplish family or designee notification and assistance. If there is no DLA activity in the
vicinity of the next of kin and travel would unduly delay the notification, support may be
requested from another DOD activity for notification assistance.
How are personal and work related effects handled?
The personal effects of your staff member must be collected, inventoried, and safeguarded until
they can be given to the family members. You will, in most cases, be responsible for
inventorying and packaging the employee's personal effects. These items should be given
personally to the family or designated next of kin either during a condolence visit, during a
benefits information visit by a human resources specialist or by delivery to family members who
elect to come onsite. Only in rare cases should the items be mailed. In all cases, a written record
should be kept of items provided to the next of kin. You must maintain the record as long as
necessary, but no less than two years. You will also need to make arrangements for the return of
Government property in the charge of the employee, including Government credit cards, civilian
identification card, office keys, issued equipment, etc. These arrangements should be made after
the initial notification visit, when the employee's survivors are ready to consider practical
matters. A sample for a personal visit notification is provided in Enclosure 3 of DLAI 6105.
DLA Guidance
What to Do When an Employee Dies In Service
3
Does DLA have an official condolence letter?
Yes. Official condolence letters will be sent by you to the next of kin when an employee dies.
The letter should be personal and sympathetic in tone, and should offer assistance whenever
possible. A sample of a condolence letter is provided in Enclosure 3 of DLAI 6105.
How does the staff honor the deceased employee?
The relationship the employee had with co-workers will often determine how the workplace
decides to honor and memorialize the deceased. Examples of work group responses include:
creating a memorial bulletin board with photos and other meaningful images, holding a
workplace event such as a luncheon or reception to honor the deceased employee, and inviting
family members and close friends outside of work to share their memories with the group. You
might also create a memory book filled with stories and sentiments from co-workers to give to
the family.
What about staff coverage for unfinished or future work assignments?
A temporary, short-term plan can be put into place until a more permanent decision can be made.
It is best to put a temporary plan into action as soon as possible to lessen the level of anxiety that
may be present among the staff. Make it clear what is needed and who is responsible.
What do I do about the employee’s vacant office space?
It is best not to make any abrupt moves in regard to space changes; people need time to grieve
the loss of their co-worker before seeing his or her workstation cleared or reassigned.
What about the new employee?
Under the best of circumstances, a new employee needs to be prepared for possible negative
comparisons with the deceased employee. If the deceased was particularly well-liked, the
transition will be even more difficult. It is recommended to give staff notice of the new
employee’s start date, relevant work background and to prepare them for the change.
What happens if we experience a loss of work productivity and motivation?
As the manager, the death of an employee may result in lower productivity and motivation for a
brief time. The debriefing held soon after the announcement will ease the impact of loss, but it
may not be avoided entirely. Eventually, the work unit will return to its normal level of
functioning.
What if after some time has passed one or more employees are still showing signs of
depression and a lack of productivity?
If one to two months pass and you notice that one of your employees has not returned to his or
her normal level of functioning and appears to still be grieving, talk with that employee, give
them feedback on what you have observed, and share your concerns about them. You may
suggest that they seek counseling from EAP or another support mechanism (e.g., health care
provider or church leader). Often a loss in one area of someone’s life, as in the loss of a co-
worker, triggers unresolved feelings about previous losses or anticipated losses. This person
may need extra assistance in coping with these feelings.
Attachment 2
SUPERVISOR’S CHECKLIST
IN THE EVENT OF AN EMPLOYEE DEATH IN SERVICE
The initial checklist below will assist supervisors with the process/procedures in the event
of an employee death.
Note: Any death of an employee will be reported immediately by the head or designated
representative of the activity where the incident occurs to the DLA Logistics Operations (J3) or
the DLA Staff Duty Officer (SDO) after hours, for processing according to the DLA Situation
Reporting (SITREP) at https://headquarters.dla.mil/DES/policy/i6106.pdf.
_____ Upon notification of the employee’s death, obtain the name, phone number, relationship
to the deceased employee from the individual calling, and funeral arrangements if available.
_____ The employee's supervisor or designated representative is responsible for ensuring proper
notification occurs within the enterprise and assistance is provided to the family members, or the
designated next of kin. Advisory services are available i.e., Chaplain, Employee Assistance
Program (EAP) to assist in making notifications.
_____ The supervisor or designated representative will prepare an official condolence letters to
be sent by his/her activity to the next of kin when an employee dies. The letter should be
personal and sympathetic in tone and should offer assistance whenever possible. A sample of a
condolence letter is provided in DLAI 6105, Enclosure 3.
_____ The supervisor or designated representative will contact the DLA Human Resources
Services for assistance in providing information to the deceased employee’s family, or
designated next of kin regarding benefits, entitlements, and responsibilities
(https://employees.hr.dla.mil/contactus/). It should be noted the DHRS cannot provide
Management/Supervisors with family members, designation of beneficiary, or next of kin
information due to privacy considerations. DHRS will assign a single point of contact to each
case and will inform beneficiaries of any potential benefits entitlements in writing. All necessary
claim forms will be provided promptly, and assistance given in completing and processing the
forms.
_____Contact your Payroll Center of Excellence/Timekeeper for proper coding of the
employee’s time sheet and to be sure all necessary documents that payroll requires are provided
in a timely manner.
_____ Supervisors will also make arrangements for the return of Government property in the
charge of the employee, including Government credit cards, civilian identification Card, office
keys, issued equipment, etc. These arrangements should be made after the initial notification
visit, when the employee's survivors are ready to consider practical matters. A sample for a
personal visit notification is provided in DLAI Enclosure 3.
DLA Guidance
Supervisor’s Checklist – Employee Death
2
_____ The personal effects of a deceased employee in the workplace or in the custody of a DLA
activity will be collected, inventoried, and safeguarded until they can be given to the next of kin.
The employee's supervisor will, in most cases, be responsible for inventorying and packaging the
employee's personal effects. These items should be given personally to the next of kin either
during a condolence visit, during a benefits information visit by a personnel specialist or by
delivery to family members who elect to come onsite. Only in rare cases will the items be
mailed. In all cases, a written record should be kept of items provided to the next of kin. This
record will be maintained as long as necessary, but no less than 2 years.
_____ Supervisors in DLA activities are responsible for maintaining emergency contact
information for all employees, to include the name, address, and telephone number of the
employee's next of kin in the Electronic Official Personnel File (EOPF). This information will be
safeguarded in accordance with Privacy Act requirements. Employees will be requested to
update this information annually and as changes occur.
Attachment 3
Information & Advice to DLA Employees
Preparing Your Family Members
Nobody likes to think about our own death, especially how it would impact our families.
However, preparing your loved ones in the event of your death and following these
recommendations will help DLA in assisting your family through an extremely difficult and
stressful time. What is particularly important is making sure your family members have point of
contact information for your home organization, your supervisor, your servicing DLA Human
Resources Office, as well as important benefits information. It’s a good idea to take the time to
update your emergency contact information and designations of beneficiary, and be aware of the
many resources available for your family in the event of your death. The following are
recommendations, information, and links which provide useful information for you to have in a
secure and accessible place at your home so your family members have all necessary information
in the event it is needed.
1. While it is your supervisor’s responsibility to contact the DLA Human Resources Services
for assistance in providing information to your family or designated next of kin regarding
benefits, entitlements, and responsibilities as a result of a death in service, it is your
responsibility to ensure your emergency POC information is up to date. This information
will be safeguarded in accordance with Privacy Act requirements. Employees will be
requested to update this information annually and as changes occur. You can update your
personal information MyBiz and/or EOPF. These may be accessed at
http://www.hr.dla.mil/tools/.
2. Be sure to have your DLA activity’s general phone number as well as your supervisor’s
phone number accessible for your family. Your supervisor is responsible for ensuring proper
notification occurs of a death in service within the enterprise and assistance is provided to
family members, or the designated next of kin.
3. Keep DLA Human Resources Services contact information available in case there is a need
to reach out to a human resource specialist. DHRS contact information is located at
http://www.hr.dla.mil/contactus/.
4. Review and update your Designation of Beneficiary forms regularly and following life events
such as marriage, divorce, birth of a child, etc. The order of precedence and/or designations
of beneficiaries determine how benefits are paid in the event of your death. Designations of
beneficiary for Federal Employees Group Life Insurance, Federal Employees Retirement
System and Unpaid Compensation are filed in your electronic Official Personnel Folder
(eOPF) which can be accessed at: https://eopf1.nbc.gov/dla/. Designations of beneficiary for
the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) are filed directly with TSP. Information on completing
designations of beneficiary is found at: http://www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/life-
insurance/designating-a-beneficiary/#url=Designation-of-Beneficiary.
