{"id":13914,"date":"2023-09-02T22:48:06","date_gmt":"2023-09-03T02:48:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thealfam.com\/evermore\/public\/?p=13914"},"modified":"2026-07-28T13:36:26","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T17:36:26","slug":"advocating-for-change-how-one-employee-secured-bereavement-leave","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thealfam.com\/evermore\/advocating-for-change-how-one-employee-secured-bereavement-leave\/","title":{"rendered":"Advocating for Change: How One Man Secured Bereavement Leave for Hundreds of Thousands of Johnson & Johnson Employees Globally"},"content":{"rendered":"[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” row_position_desktop=”default” row_position_tablet=”inherit” row_position_phone=”inherit” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” flex_gap_desktop=”10px” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]\n

A Grieving Parent Turns Pain into a Purpose<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Following the death of his teenaged son, Blake, Tom Barklage fought to secure bereavement leave for Johnson & Johnson employees around the world<\/h3>\n

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By Maddie Cohen<\/p>\n

After his son Blake died, Tom Barklage took time off to make space for his grief. Little did he know the loss would result in a push to expand his employer\u2019s bereavement care. Today, the high-level manager has made it his mission to change lives for the better.<\/p>\n

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Grief alters the course of a parent\u2019s life<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"The death of a child changes a person\u2014and Tom remembers October 30, 2021, like it was yesterday. His son, then 17, was attending an evening gathering with friends when he lost consciousness. A short time later, he died in the hospital of an unknown heart issue: lymphocytic myocarditis.<\/p>\n

Tom, his wife Alison, and their daughter Alexis were devastated. Yet Johnson & Johnson<\/a> (J&J), where Tom has worked for almost 20 years, stepped up to the plate. The company president held a moment of silence in Blake\u2019s honor at an immunology town hall, and Tom\u2019s boss was gracious about his leave. Months later, J&J gave Tom an additional day off on April 7\u2014Blake\u2019s birthday and the day they buried his ashes\u2014and catered a meal for the Barklages and their guests.<\/p>\n

Yet Tom struggled. His employer\u2019s official bereavement policy was just five days. And while the pharmaceutical expert could leverage flex days or \u201ctake a knee,\u201d those moments his grief became too much, there was little time to process the complexity of his loss.<\/p>\n

Not only that, but Tom realized others might not have the same accommodations. Not everyone at J&J had 18 years\u2019 tenure or the flexibility of working in the field.<\/p>\n

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A push for flexible bereavement care<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tom set out to change J&J\u2019s bereavement policy. He was determined to honor Blake\u2019s legacy and respectfully challenge the status quo.<\/p>\n

The process was far from simple\u2014but Tom had to start somewhere. He began by sharing his thoughts with his boss, and then reaching out to J&J\u2019s Vice President of Human Resources. The goal was to bring awareness to the cause. And while Tom\u2019s advocacy sparked discussion, it wasn\u2019t so straightforward. J&J was in the midst of global change, and some stakeholders thought it best to wait a year.<\/p>\n

Plus, Tom was still grieving.<\/p>\n

Company leaders were skeptical, but the key account manager reassured them. He explained that he was absolutely in his right mind, and that his advocacy was a matter of great importance.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt helps to have something to fight for,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

Now, Tom isn\u2019t advocating for a specific number of days off. He is simply promoting a more flexible bereavement policy\u2014for everyone<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Because parents deserve it. And because, in Tom\u2019s words, Blake had a remarkable ability to use the past to make an even brighter tomorrow.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why it\u2019s so important for me to give back,\u201d Tom says. \u201cI know that if this bereavement policy goes through, the day that I retire from J&J, I can sit there and say, \u2018Blake, we did it.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

On August 1st<\/sup>, Johnson & Johnson released this statement: We all need to step away from work sometimes, and taking time to heal from the loss of a loved one shouldn’t be an additional worry. As part of our newly-expanded global paid leave offerings, every employee around the globe has access to up to 30 days of dedicated paid leave time for bereavement.\u00a0Learn about all the ways we offer flexibility to enable everyone on our team to succeed at work while also balancing personal and family needs. <\/em><\/p>\n

J&J Employee Benefits<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Honoring Blake Barklage\u2019s legacy<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 2022, the Barklage family started the Blake Barklage Foundation, also known as Blake Gives Back. The nonprofit supports charitable initiatives focused on intellectual disabilities, education, organ donation, and the prevention of cardiac arrest in children and young adults.<\/p>\n

Readers can learn more about Blake\u2019s life and legacy by visiting the links below:<\/p>\n