What is Bereavement Leave?
Bereavement leave is a temporary time off granted to an employee following the death of a relative or a friend.
Bereavement leave definition
Bereavement leave is a temporary time off granted to an employee following the death of a relative or a friend. It is given apart from other scheduled leaves and generally includes three days although many organizations are flexible in terms of how much time an employee takes off.
This type of a leave is usually a paid leave and the reasons for it are serious illness or death of a family member or a friend.
How does bereavement leave work?
There are multiple scenarios that may occur when it comes to bereavement leave. First of all, if your employer offers a bereavement leave, you should consult with him or her or your HR department about your contract conditions and company policy.
However, if the company does not offer a bereavement leave, employees have multiple options: take a few days off, take unpaid days off or decide to work from home.
Nevertheless, in most situations employees are entitled to take:
- Two days off work in continuity
- Take a total of two days off but in different occasions
- Or, take any other amount of time off in agreement with their employer
Is bereavement leave usually paid for?
Bereavement leave can be a paid time off from work but employers are not legally obligated to adhere to any regulations regarding the matter. Usually, bereavement leave is considered as unpaid time off from work.