A recent article published by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) explored the human resource (HR) professional’s role in responding to an employee’s disclosure of serious illness, such as cancer or heart disease, and how it differs from that of line managers. According to the article, it is important is to continuously emphasize HR’s value and position it as a resource for both managers and colleagues in crisis situations, which requires talking and listening in order to build strong, trusting relationships with both management and staff. Read the SHRM article.