MORE than half of people feel pressured to return to work after a bereavement, a new report has found.

Research by Co-op Funeralcare also found that two in five adults felt isolated on their return to work after a bereavement, while 30 per cent said they needed more than two weeks off before being ready to return to work.

The report also found that 31 per cent of those surveyed felt they had to justify grief for anyone other than an immediate family member, while 46 per cent felt others actively avoided them.

Co-op Funeralcare director of funerals David Collingwood said: “Learning to live with grief can involve tackling going back to work, a family birthday, Christmas and many other events that will remind us of the person we’ve lost.

“It’s a common misconception that bereaved people don’t want to talk, which is why I’m not surprised that 46 per cent of people feel avoided.”