What is a Bereavement Leave? Definition | Policy | FAQS

What Is A Bereavement Leave? Bereavement Leave Definition:

Bereavement leave is a temporary leave (usually paid) taken by employees who have lost someone among their loved ones. The number of days of leave depends on the company, but usually, it is for 3 to 5 days.

What Should You Include In A Bereavement Leave Policy?

When you draft a bereavement leave policy for your employees, there are certain things you need to keep in mind. Here are some of the basic information you need to include:

Eligibility: Some organisations give bereavement leave to employees who have lost their distant relatives and even pets, not just for close family members. You can set the eligibility criteria depending on the employees’ familial relationship and circumstances.
Duration: Usually, organisations give bereaved employees 3-5 days of leave. However, some employees have to go out of the station to attend funerals or other ceremonies. In this case, the employee and his team leader, manager, or HR can further discuss the number of days the employees will have to take leave.
Documents: While some companies require employees to submit proof of death, such as a death certificate or obituary, not all ask for such documents.
Procedure: The policy should contain detailed procedures such as steps on how to apply for bereavement leave, to whom employees should inform about the leave, what documents to submit, etc.

Do You Need A Bereavement Leave Policy?

Though not all organisations have a bereavement leave policy as it is not always part of the company benefits, providing it to your employees when the time comes will let them know that you, as the employer and head, care for them and are there for them in their times of need.

By giving your employees a bereavement leave policy, they will know what to do should there be any death in their family. This way, they would know how to apply for the leave and for how long they will be able to be on leave. This will make their difficult times a little easier.

Bereavement Leave: FAQS

1. Is Bereavement leave paid?

Although it is not a must for employers to provide paid bereavement leave to their employees, some companies offer the benefit as a form of paid time-off/leave. However, in most companies, employees use their ELs or CLs, and in case they don’t have any left, they talk to their managers or supervisors.

2. How long is Bereavement leave?

The number of days of leave depends on the company, but usually, it is for 3 to 5 days. In case the employee needs a longer time, he should discuss it with his supervisor, manager or HR.

3. Is it compulsory to provide paid time off for bereavement?

There are no laws stating that employers should provide paid bereavement leave to employees. In case the employee has exhausted his ELs or CLs, he can speak to his boss/manager/supervisor/HR and ask for paid leave.

Why Do People Need Bereavement Leave?

People deal with grief in different ways. Most of us go through the five stages of grief, which are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Some choose to focus on taking care of their family members, and some choose to escape, some get lost in their work, while some choose to be alone. No matter how we choose to deal with it, there is one thing we all need: Time.

As employers, you would need to let your employees know what they need to do to take time off during these times, such as how to apply for bereavement leave and for how long they can take bereavement leave.

For Employees:

How To Apply For Bereavement Leave

For employees, if you are unsure about your company’s bereavement leave policy, you can follow the steps below to apply for bereavement leave.

Call or text your Supervisor or Manager:

Unlike other leaves such as CL or EL, bereavement leave is something you cannot plan in advance. As soon as the news of the death reaches you, try to inform your supervisor or manager (the person you report to). You obviously won’t be able to write an application for leave then and there. So, call or text them to let them know that there has been a death in your family and that you will not be able to show up for work. Let them know that you will send them an email once you have gathered your thoughts and bearings.

This way, you will have more time to figure out how many days of leave you would be needing and send the bereavement application email accordingly.

Write an application for Bereavement Leave:

The next step is to sit down and draft a bereavement leave application to send to your HR, supervisor, or manager. CC everyone you mention in the email. For instance, if you have a backup plan with someone handling your responsibilities, mark them on the email. Mention how many days of leave you would need, as well as start and end dates.

Triple check:

Before clicking on the ‘Send’ button, ensure that you proofread the email at least thrice. Make sure that the dates and names are correct.

Example of bereavement leave application

Dear John,

It is with a heavy heart that I write to you to inform you of the passing of my ……… last night. As I would need to head home to take care of the funeral arrangements, I humbly request you grant me five days of paid leave starting today, i.e. the 21st of April, 2021, until the 25th of April 2021.

Should you need to contact me, you can reach me on my cell phone. If, by any chance, you are unable to reach me, I have left instructions to Aurora Rose, the intern. She should be able to help you in my absence.

I sincerely apologise for the inconvenience and would be very much obliged if you could kindly grant me this leave of absence.

Thanking you,
Name.

Download bereavement letter sample in word

A healthy way to respond to grief is to take time for oneself or be there for the family. Understanding this, organisations have introduced bereavement leave.

We hope this article helps you in understanding how having a good bereavement leave policy will let your employees know that you and the team are there for them in their time of need.