Sympathy Gifts For A Colleague

We make cards and prints in the UK. There is nothing to sell here beyond a sympathy card, and this guide is written to be useful rather than to sell you one.

Work bereavements are awkward because nobody knows who is meant to organise it and nobody wants to overstep.

One person should just do it. The most common failure is not the wrong gift, it is silence.

This is general information, not legal or financial advice. For probate, benefits or tax questions, use GOV.UK or speak to a solicitor.

From the team

• A single card signed by everyone, sent to their home rather than left on their desk.
• A collection, given as a donation to the named charity if the family has asked for one.
• A supermarket or meal delivery voucher, which is quietly the most useful thing an office can send.
• Flowers only if you know they'd want them and you know the address.

How much to collect

• £3 to £5 a head is normal for a team collection - keep it optional and anonymous.
• £20 to £50 total covers a card and flowers or a voucher for a small team.
• Larger offices should round to a donation rather than buy a bigger bouquet.
• Never circulate a list showing who gave what.

What to write in the card

• "We're so sorry to hear about your mum. Thinking of you - take whatever time you need." Shop this card
• "Sorry for your loss. Nothing at work needs your attention. We've got it covered." Shop this card
• "Thinking of you and your family. We're here when you're ready."
• Sign your full name. People are reading dozens of cards from people they half know.

Should the office go to the funeral?

• One or two representatives is usually right, unless it's a small firm where everyone knew them.
• Check whether the family has said the funeral is private.
• Don't turn up as a group without telling them first.
• If you can't attend, the card matters more.

When they come back

• Say something on the first day. One sentence, not avoidance.
• Don't ask for details. Do ask how this week is going.
• Protect their diary for a fortnight without making them ask.
• Check in again at three months, when everyone else has stopped.

Browse sympathy cards

How to write it so it lands

• One person organises it.
• Send the card to their home.
• Say something on their first day back.

Where to shop next

• Funeral etiquette in the UK
• What to do when someone dies
• Flowers, donations or neither
• What to wear to a funeral
• Helping someone in the weeks after
• Condolence gift ideas
• Arranging a funeral: a practical guide
• Memorial gift ideas
• What to bring to a wake
• Sympathy hampers: what to put in
• What not to say when someone is grieving
• How much to give for a funeral collection
• Funeral songs
• Difficult moments guides
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What should you send a colleague who has lost someone?

A card signed by the team sent to their home, plus either a donation to the named charity or a meal or supermarket voucher. Flowers only if you know they'd want them.

How much should an office collection be?

£3 to £5 a head, kept optional and anonymous, usually totalling £20 to £50 for a small team.

What do you say to a colleague after a bereavement?

Say something short on their first day back: you're sorry, you're thinking of them, and work is covered. Avoiding them is what people remember.