Sorry Business Communication: How to Notify Community, Workplaces, and Schools

Communication during Sorry Business follows strict cultural protocols that are almost the opposite of how mainstream Australian society handles bereavement announcements. In most Western contexts, the news spreads outward quickly — family, then friends, then workplace, then social media. In Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, who receives the news, in what order, and through which channels is a matter of cultural law, not personal preference.

Getting communication right protects the family from spiritual harm, prevents kinship conflicts, and ensures the community can mobilise the support that Sorry Business demands.

The Communication Hierarchy

The single most important principle: the news must travel through the correct kinship channels before it reaches anyone else. This is not about politeness — it is about respecting the spiritual and social structure that governs how the community responds to death.

In many Aboriginal communities, the sequence follows kinship authority:

1. Senior elders and those with direct ceremonial responsibility are notified first, through face-to-face conversation or phone calls from the designated family spokesperson
2. Extended kinship family — which, under the classificatory system, includes people who Western law would call distant relatives but who hold binding cultural obligations
3. Local community organisations — Land Councils, ACCHOs, schools, and community centres
4. Workplaces and external institutions — employers, schools attended by the deceased's children, government agencies
5. The broader public — if a formal death notice is published, it comes last

For Western Torres Strait Island families, all external communication runs through the Mari Gedth (Spirit Hand). Every enquiry — from friends, colleagues, media, community organisations — goes through this single designated in-law relative. Contacting other family members directly bypasses this authority and causes cultural offence.

Notifying Workplaces

The deceased's employer and the employers of close family members all need to be notified, but the timing and content of those notifications differ.

The deceased's employer: this notification is straightforward. Contact the employer to confirm the death, request that any workplace communications respect name and image avoidance if applicable, and arrange for the return of personal belongings. If the deceased had outstanding leave or entitlements, these may be available to the estate.

Family members' employers: each family member attending Sorry Business needs to notify their own employer. Because kinship obligations may require extended leave, the notification should include:

• That the employee is attending Sorry Business (not just "a funeral")
• That the timeline is uncertain and may extend beyond standard bereavement leave
• Whether the employee will be contactable during the mourning period
• A request for any applicable cultural or ceremonial leave provisions

Notifying Schools

Children affected by Sorry Business — the deceased's children, or children of family members who are attending — need their schools notified. This notification should include:

• That the family is observing Sorry Business and the children may be absent for an extended period
• Whether name and image avoidance applies — the school needs to know if the deceased's name should not be spoken or displayed in class
• Any emotional or behavioural changes the school should be prepared for
• A nominated contact person for the school during the mourning period

Many schools, particularly those in areas with significant Aboriginal communities, have Aboriginal Education Workers or liaison officers who can manage this communication sensitively.

Managing Information Flow

One of the most challenging aspects of Sorry Business communication is controlling what information goes where. Several practical strategies help:

Appoint a single external spokesperson. This person (or the Mari Gedth where that role applies in Western Torres Strait Island families) handles all communication with non-family contacts: employers, media, schools, government agencies. No one else in the family should be fielding external enquiries during acute grief.

Create a brief, approved statement. A short, factual statement that the spokesperson can share with external contacts reduces the need to have the same difficult conversation multiple times. The statement should include only what the family has agreed to share and should respect any name avoidance protocols.

Manage social media proactively. Before news spreads to people who might post online, send a clear message through the family network: no social media posts about the death, the deceased, or the funeral arrangements without explicit family permission. If the deceased had active social media accounts, take steps to either deactivate them or restrict access during the mourning period.

Keep a communication log. During the chaos of Sorry Business, it is easy to lose track of who has been told, what was said, and what was promised. A simple list — organisation, contact person, date notified, what was communicated — prevents gaps that create problems later.

Community Mobilisation

Effective communication during Sorry Business is not just about notification — it is about mobilising support. The community needs to know:

• Where the Sorry Camp is located and when mourners can begin arriving
• What practical contributions are needed — food, fuel cards, accommodation, transport
• When the funeral will take place (or that the date has not yet been set)
• Any specific cultural protocols that attendees should be aware of

This mobilisation communication often happens organically through community networks, but the family spokesperson can accelerate it by contacting local Land Councils, ACCHOs, and community radio stations, which can spread the word through channels the community already trusts.

The Aboriginal Sorry Business Guide includes communication templates for workplaces, schools, and community notifications, along with a tracking log that keeps everything organised — so the spokesperson can manage the flow of information without it becoming another source of overwhelm.