Death of an Employee

There may come a time when a supervisor must deal with the death of an employee who worked directly for them. The following are a number of actions they may be tasked with accomplishing to ensure survivor assistance is timely and responsive:

Notify their organization's senior manager and the Servicing Personnel Office (SPO) of the death and provide emergency address.
Prepare an SF 52, Request for Personnel Action, and Time and Attendance Sheet on the first workday after the death. Forward the SF 52 to the SPO.
Arrange for turn-in of any Government property assigned to the employee and for organizational clearance. Personal property is secured and disposed of.
Notify the appropriate Union official.
Prepare compensation forms (with assistance from the SPO) if the employee's death resulted from a work-related injury or illness; notify the Safety Office. Forward the compensation forms to the SPO.

Contact the Employee Assistance Program for guidance in working with the employee's family or other close friends. In addition, brief grief counseling or intervention may be appropriate for co-workers.

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Revised: 11/18/98
DOI University
National Business Center
U.S. Department of the Interior