Bereavement leave

[jen0610]

Previous employer: I had to use a week's vacation when my SIL passed (they only covered blood relations and spouses).

I use to work for a company that rewrote it bereavement pay schedule. They used the exact wording of - Coverage is for spouce and blood relatives only. I have to tell you, I had a field day with the HR department and the owner, due to this wording. See I am adopted. The only two blood relatives I have are my DS and DD.

When we had a company meeting to go over the changes to the handbook, they had made several changes (most were so stupid), they opened the floor to questions. So I asked them, that in order to qualify for bereavement pay other than spouce, you had to have a DNA connection. I was told that was correct. At my questions, the light bulb went off in my managers head of exactly where I was going.

I then asked them to tell me what I would get for bereavement pay for my family. The owner said I would get what was stated in the handbook. I told him the handbook doesn't state what I would get. He told me to read it again. So, I did out loud, for eveybody to hear. When I got done, I looked at him and said, it still doesn't tell ME how many days I get, because of the verbage they used. He said that it couldn't get any more clear cut and dry as you will only get paid for spouce and blood relatives. My responce back was - And like I asked, what exactly will I get for my days off. I know I'll get time off for my husband as he is a spouce and kids because they are blood relatives, but what about my ADOPTIVE PARENTS, BROTHERS, and GRANDPARENTS? His responce was, they would count. And before I could say another word, one of the other employees, stood up and said, not according to what YOU and HR stated earlier. YOU BOTH stated, not once, but atleast 3 times, you would only pay for BLOOD RELATIVES. She doesn't have any, other than her kids. If you are going to use the verbage blood relatives in your handbook, then you exclude any one who is adopted. The owner stated that we were reading to much into the verbage of the text. To which someone else pointed out, that HE had stated, after I read it, that it couldn't get any more clear cut and dry as to what they would pay. Needless to say, it got very ugly from there on out as HR and the owner made horsesa$$'s out of themselves with further comments, which lead to a whole other line of questions and defining of wording in the handbook.

But at the end, they had to change the wording in the handbook, they went to blood and/or adoptive parents, siblings and grandparents.

 

[disykat]

Have you asked them what happens when you get sick? In my experience, small companies encourage you to take all your days (sick, personal, etc.) for this kind of thing - so your days will all be paid. However, my experience was that they are willing to be flexible and understanding with unpaid sick days later (as needed) due to the fact that you've used up your days.

 

[aprincessmom]

3 days for immediate family (spouse, children, domestic partners, parents, siblings, grandparents, in-laws, step siblings or children and legal guardians residing in the employees home). 1 day for extended family (aunts, uncles, cousins) and friends. Any time above that is vacation time or other leave. Employee may be asked to provide documentation of the death and relationship to the deceased.

This is a multi-national company with over 9,000 employees

 

[Todd&Copper]

My company gives you up to 3 days paid time off for certain family members (grandparents, parents, siblings, spouse, children) and also for those same family members of your spouse.

Mine does this, too, and any time you need beyond that can be vacation, floating holiday, or unpaid leave, depending on employee's preference.

 

[suzannen]

I work in an office of 20 and our official policy is 3 days bereavement, but in reality, whenever someone has lost a parent, spouse, sibling or child, my boss has always said to take whatever time was needed and has allowed up to 3 weeks without deducting anyone's vacation or pay.

 

[LuvN~Travel]

At Post Office you are expected to use your annual leave (or LWOP if all gone). We do have a generous leave amount due to the union, but of course management will come back and use that leave usage against you in
discipline!
Kim

 

[chicagodisneyfan]

I get whatever I need. Husband is in a union and gets 5 days per incident.

 

[mrsstats]

I work in a small insurance agency. We get 0 days off. One person who has been working there for 25 years got no days off when her husband died. I just think this is heartless.

 

[JoeEpcotRocks]

Current company and past company gave 3 days if immediate family, 1 day otherwise.

 

[debbi801]

We get 3 days and can take vacation time if we need more. But, the extra time is at manager's approval.

 

[Clang]

You get 3 days paid for a spouse, child, mother, father, sister, brother, or grandparent. You get one day paid for a Mother or Father in law. That's it.

My SIL took her own life in Sept. and I had to use all my personal/vacation time to be with the family. It happened on a Monday afternoon, and I took Tues-Friday. If I didn't have any time left, it would have been unpaid, and held over my head at the next review.

 

[minechuchie]

Thanks for all your replies. I do not believe that I was treated unfairly and I am grateful that my company offers paid time off for these situations, I just kinda thought my taking a few more days of unpaid time off would not have been such a problem. Missing the extra days did not affect the others in my office nor did it cause anyone a hardship for my not being there. I also should point out that after I was told to use my paid sporadic days [the only 4 I get for the year] and I asked what would happen if I got sick down the road and needed a day off would it be held against me. I was told that the only way to guarantee it wouldn't be [managers exact wording was to cover your a**] was for me to get a Doctors note stating that I was under a doctors care and that I couldn't come to work. I just kind of thought why should I have to jump through hoops to take care of my family. This is a very large company and I am finding it hard to believe this is a standard practice. Thanks Again for all the replies. Terri

P.S. I did go and get a doctors note...and handed that in.

 

[Disney Doll]

I think we get 2 or 3 days off for a close family member (spouse, parent, sibling, grandparent, child). If you need any more time than that, then you use vacation or personal time. If the deceased doesn't fit into one of those categories but you feel you need to go to the events, then vacation or personal time, or call in sick.

 

[MareQ]

Hi, I was just wondering how many days of bereavement does every ones company allow them to take and can you take paid, unpaid or both. What kind of work do you do.[No company names please.] Just went through a situation were I was allowed to take 3 days off paid for the death of my father but needed another 4 days to get mom and everything situated. I was not or do I care if I got paid for any of the days. I am now told that I must use all my sporadic days to cover my 4 extra days off. This is all well and good...but what happens for the rest of the year if I get sick and need a day off. Is it going to be held over my head that I took a day off. I would not expect pay, but I can be written up for using to many sporadic days. Are companies so cold and uncaring that they will not allow you time to grieve and at the least to get your parents affairs in order. I also must point out that I am only a part time worker and I fairly often am asked to work over my normal 25 hours. Any thoughts on this. Terri

I am sorry for your loss - but I can see the point of you company. They DID give you bereavement leave - you needed to take more than that off so they are telling you to use your own days - there's nothing wrong with that.

 

[MareQ]

Thanks for all your replies. I do not believe that I was treated unfairly and I am grateful that my company offers paid time off for these situations, I just kinda thought my taking a few more days of unpaid time off would not have been such a problem. Missing This is a very large company and I am finding it hard to believe this is a standard practice. Thanks Again for all the replies. Terri

.

My family company is a fairly large company. We have people - EVERY SINGLE YEAR - that have family members that "die". We don't ask for proof but we do write down when they take bereavement leave and why. We offer 3 days for spouses, children, siblings and parents, 1 day for Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Grandparents etc.

We have people that have lost both parents - SEVERAL times over the past 10 years. We have one guy that took bereavement leave 3 times for the death of his sister - he only has one sister - and now by sheer dumb luck she happens to work for us(She doesn't pull any of the garbage her brother does). Wonder how she would feel if she knew she had died 3 times before we even hired her? (He's a fantastic worker otherwise - but he always runs out of vacation and sick time by the time August comes around - so he just starts killing off fictional family members to get days here and there I guess)

Rules are in place for a reason and it may FEEL unreasonable to you at such a hard and harsh time in yoru life - but you have to look at unfortunately why these rules may be in place.