Funeral Leave

[jensen]

Does your employer make you use vacation to attend the funeral of an immediate family member?

My grandmother passed away last week and I took a day off to attend the funeral. Today when I picked up my paycheck I noticed that it was short. When I asked about it, I was told that I was out of vacation leave, so I had to take the day unpaid. I think they should have mentioned that they expected me to take the day unpaid. I would have worked a little longer a couple of days to, at least, make up some of the hours.

I've never had a family member die before, but I know that past employers have offered paid leave to attend the funeral of an immediate family member. One company I worked for gave you three days.

My boss said that I should ask around because I'd be surprised to find how few companies pay for funeral leave.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

We get 1 day for sibling, grandparent, aunt or uncle. Yours, not in-laws supposedly. 2 days for parents or a child. Now I ask you, who would return to work 2 days after their child passed away? You can take additional time but for that you use your vacation time.

 

[PaulaSB12]

Wow. My firm gives 5 days berevement leave for parents or parents in law 3 for siblings.

 

[Pakey]

We are a pretty good sized company and we offer no paid bereavement leave. You can take vacation or sick or take the days without pay.

 

[Hoodie]

For a grandmother, no. We get pro-rated leave based on relationship, but nothing for anyone other than parent, sibling or child (child is the highest, then parent, then sibling).

That's been the case for every company I've worked for. No bereavement leave for anyone other than those relationships.


eta: I forgot spouse! Same as child. Nothing for in-laws though.

 

[bigbabyblues]

We get one paid day for immediate family--spouse, parent, or child. Anything else, including grandparents/grandchildren, or any more than one day for the above, comes out of our vacation time.

 

[brockash]

Wow. My firm gives 5 days berevement leave for parents or parents in law 3 for siblings.

Mine as well. For Grandparents though, I believe it's only 3 days.

 

[abdmom]

A grandparent isn't an immediate family member. That would be a spouse or a child. I've never heard of leave for a grandparent's funeral.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

Wow, who wouldn't go to their grandparents funeral? Seems like that is saying they aren't very valued family members.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

My DH's present employer has a "schedule" for funeral leave...starting with the spouses and kids (and maybe parents)--then going on up the family tree. I think there are three different levels.

I'm not sure "grandparent" is considered immediate family. It may be second tier, but they still get more than 1 day. Maybe 2?

Reading other people's post--I think in-laws may be tier 3.

Anything outside of those parameters would require vacation if I am going just by the benefits sheet. (At a prior company, they would take some things into consideration such as traveling logistics--no idea with this company. But the above is their official policy).

But I'd still attend if the logistics were possible--even if it required vacation time.

FWIW--it is clearly listed in his employment package. Didn't your company provide you that information at hire? Every company I have ever worked for has and if something isn't listed, then you can't assume that you get it.

 

[mom2travel]

my company is pretty small, and I'm not sure exactly what our formal bereavement policy is (assuming we have one). But I know I have been able to take a day paid/not using PTO days when each of two of my grandparents passed away and for DH's grandfather's funeral and I think even my great-uncle's funeral. This is over the course of almost 20 years

 

[blanq]

I work in county government and I do not have funeral leave. I have PTO, which I am to use when I am sick, want vacation, or want to attend a funeral.

 

[Kimberle]

My current co gives 1 paid day for a child, parent or spouse only. Anybody else is sick/vacation/unpaid time.

My other co's gave 1-5 days depending on the relationship.

Companies are "liable" to grant paid funeral leave.

 

[emh1129]

Where my DH works now, there is no bereavement pay. But his previous employer did have three days paid leave for bereavement (including grandparents- I don't believe there were any exclusions).

 

[HelenePA]

wow I have been very lucky I guess... we aren't married (we've been together for almost 14yrs have 4 kids blah blah blah). When my mother was in the hospital dying he was able to take off early when I needed him home, he was able to take off for her funeral too, all paid and not out of his vacation or personal days. Same went for my grandmother, dad, grandfather (its been a rough 5 yrs in my family ) Heck they even send me flowers each time someone dies.

 

[barkley]

I work in county government and I do not have funeral leave. I have PTO, which I am to use when I am sick, want vacation, or want to attend a funeral.

dh and i are retired from 2 different county governments (within the same state).

his former employer allowed up to 3 days for immediate family (and if i remember right it did include grandparents). after that a person could use floating time (if they had it on the books).

mine offered zip, and only floating time could be used b/c it did'nt qualify for sick leave, and vacation leave could only be used for time off requested so far in advance.

oh-and no way there would have been an option with either (or any of my former non gov. employers) to work extra hours in advance to make up the time. that state had heavy duty overtime laws, and a person working longer than their 8/9/or 10 hour shift (depending on what kind of work week they had) would have messed with our overtime stats.

 

[golfgal]

Wow, who wouldn't go to their grandparents funeral? Seems like that is saying they aren't very valued family members.

No one is saying they won't go, they are saying that they don't get funeral pay from their company for going, big difference.

I don't get any paid time off but then again, I work for myself .

 

[minniecarousel]

Per my Union - I get 3 days, 5 if over 60 miles, if I'd have to travel. Most of my family was able to get paid time off when my Mom died. My older DS works for a small, new company and had no paid Bereavement Leave. He took 2 days off PTO. Younger DS works for a large National Retailer and got 3 days.

 

[design_mom]

I just looked up our company's policy.

Full-time employees (FTEs) are eligible for up to three days of paid leave for employee's spouse/domestic partner, child, stepchild, parent, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, or spouse's parent. For other close relatives, FTEs are eligible for one day of paid leave.

However, my company has been very flexible on this. While employed here (10 years) I have attended four funerals. All have been granted under the bereavement leave policy, although I'm not sure they technically qualify.
-- husband's uncle (out of town, 3 days)
-- husband's grandfather (out of town, 3 days)
-- my uncle (local, 1 day)
-- brother-in-law's mother (local, 1 day)

I am a salaried employee and I know I have "made up the time" elsewhere within the 10 years, but I really appreciate them being flexible when it comes to family stuff like that.

Extra time could be vacation, floating holiday, or "family leave" time, but I don't think you could use your sick time. That's for personal illness only.

 

[ShuisFan584]

Wow, I thought every employer gave bereavement days!

We get 3 days bereavement for immediate family - siblings, parents, grandparents, spouses, in laws, kids. I think that covers everything.

My two grandfathers both passed away within 5 months of each other. I got 3 days bereavement for each of them.