Bereavement Leave - Strongly Encouraged Policy

You may copy and paste this sample employee handbook policy text to help create your own policy documents. A licensed attorney in your area should review final drafts.

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About this Employee Handbook Policy

This is an optional policy that may be modified in accordance with your organization’s needs. If you have a bereavement leave policy, you may want to include a statement allowing variance from the stated policy based on managerial approval.

SAMPLE POLICY:

BEREAVEMENT LEAVE

When a death occurs in an employee’s family (or in the family of an employee’s spouse), this organization will provide bereavement leave. Pay will not be granted for any day in which the employee is otherwise compensated (such as a paid holiday) or for any day the employee would otherwise not have been at work.

Bereavement leave is provided as follows:

Relationship (to you or your spouse) Paid Time

Spouse, Child, Parent Up to 3 days

Grandparent, Grandchild, Sibling Up to 2 days

Aunt, Uncle, Niece, Nephew Up to 1 day

Employees may use, as necessary, the maximum number of days granted under this policy. If additional time is needed, employees may use, with their manager’s discretion, any available sick or vacation days. Vacation time may be used to attend funeral services of persons not included in this bereavement leave policy. The employee’s manager and the human resources department must approve any variance from, or modification to, this bereavement leave policy. Employees who wish to take time off under this policy should notify their manager as soon as possible.

Posted 2022
This is a sample handbook policy only. Your organization is responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. Accordingly, this document should not be used or adopted by your organization without first being reviewed and approved by a licensed attorney in your area. Brotherhood Mutual assumes no liability in preparation and distribution of this sample document.