{"id":473,"date":"2021-04-20T10:05:52","date_gmt":"2021-04-20T14:05:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.harmonizehq.com\/blog\/?p=473"},"modified":"2021-06-08T01:53:17","modified_gmt":"2021-06-08T05:53:17","slug":"bereavement-leave","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.harmonizehq.com\/blog\/bereavement-leave\/","title":{"rendered":"The Global Guide to Bereavement Leave in Modern Companies"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bereavement is a duration of hurt and grief experienced by an individual &#8211; typically over the loss of a very close relative. This is a situation that significantly impacts an employee&#8217;s ability to focus on work-life, and requires time for the employee to recover and re-adjust. It is important that during this time, employers dedicate greater attention to their employee&#8217;s well-being. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This article explores what bereavement leave is, including its expectations, and its benefits to the individual as well as to the company.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"lyte-wrapper fourthree\" style=\"width:480px;max-width:100%;margin:5px auto;\"><div class=\"lyMe\" id=\"WYL_eLk3s7_9MYE\"><div id=\"lyte_eLk3s7_9MYE\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.harmonizehq.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-youtube-lyte\/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FeLk3s7_9MYE%2Fhqdefault.jpg\" class=\"pL\"><div class=\"tC\"><div class=\"tT\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"play\"><\/div><div class=\"ctrl\"><div class=\"Lctrl\"><\/div><div class=\"Rctrl\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><noscript><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/eLk3s7_9MYE\"><img src=\"https:\/\/blog.harmonizehq.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-youtube-lyte\/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FeLk3s7_9MYE%2F0.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"480\" height=\"340\" \/><br \/>Watch this video on YouTube<\/a><\/noscript><\/div><\/div><div class=\"lL\" style=\"max-width:100%;width:480px;margin:5px auto;\"><\/div><\/p>\n\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is Bereavement Leave?\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bereavement leave is time given to employees to take time off work when a family member passes away. The time is mostly used towards planning and holding the funeral as well as to grieve and process the loss. However, many employees worry about job security when asking for time off during this painful time \u2013 thereby, creating a worse environment for themselves. One example is that of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-38915693#:~:text=Employees%20can%20now%20take%20up,of%20an%20immediate%20family%20member.&amp;text=%22We%20need%20public%20policies%20that,Ms%20Sandberg%20posted%20on%20Facebook.\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mr Andrews<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> who says that he was unproductive and almost useless after rushing back to work following the death of his son. That\u2019s why it is important for there to be an established policy so that staff know what they are entitled to leave, do not have to rush back to work and do not feel unsafe. But at the same time, there is little regulation around bereavement leave \u2013 allowing a lot of flexibility in the policies that employers implement.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Business Considerations of Bereavement Leave<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When an employee applies for bereavement leave, it will inevitably disrupt the business as there is one less person in your workforce. To counter this, steps should be taken to distribute that employee\u2019s responsibility among other members of staff. If possible, the split should be put in writing and included within your bereavement policy. Another option is to give the employee freedom to work from home so that they can still contribute to the workforce \u2013 but be clear that it is up to them whether they do this or not.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finally, when the employee returns from bereavement leave, schedule a meeting to assess whether they are fit to come back to work. This is even more important if you operate in a field that is high value or dangerous as lack of concentration can be fatal for the business and for the safety of other members of staff. If you feel that the employee is not ready to return to work, ask them to go back home and rest. If possible, implement a policy so that they can be paid during this time. Offering them a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harmonizehq.com\/blog\/sabbatical\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sabbatical leave<\/a> to rest and recuperate is in the best interest of both the company and employee.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eligibility for Bereavement Leave<\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Relationship to Deceased<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employees are usually given time off for the passing of immediate family \u2013 children, partners, parents, grandparents or spouses. It may be wise for any company to extend leave beyond this and offer leave for the passing of more distant family members. For example, aunts, uncles and even pets can be included in your policy, but you can reduce the number of days that an employee can take-off based on their relationship.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Proof of Death<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While most employers do not require proof of death, you can opt to include it in your policy. The only issue to arise from this is that it can seem insensitive and intrusive. However, restricting proof to merely asking for details of the deceased will not be intrusive and the process will be quick. Further proof can take longer to acquire and may negatively impact the company\u2019s image.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pay<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is no steadfast rule on pay during bereavement leave and it is usually left to be decided by each employer through setting up a company policy. However, Governments have imposed further regulation in recent years \u2013 we will address this in a later section.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Currently, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/hrdailyadvisor.blr.com\/2019\/05\/10\/creating-a-bereavement-leave-policy-for-your-company\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">94% of companies<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that have a bereavement leave policy offer their employees full pay, but this is not essential. Nevertheless, the trend seems to be heading towards having paid bereavement leave as the norm and it may come to be something that employees expect in every company of the future. However, employers can set up their policy so that employees can only take a max number of paid days off as bereavement leave per year. Alternatively, pay during bereavement leave can be reduced to a fraction of normal pay \u2013 increasing with each full year that the employee has worked for the company.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Length<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is a similar trend here in that governments are regulating it more in recent years. In many countries, the average number of days given off can be between 2-5 days, but this figure is very flexible, and many employers offer a longer period. It may be beneficial for your company if you offer a flexible policy that considers an employee\u2019s individual situation before deciding the length of their time off.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some things that an employer should have consideration of are the:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employee\u2019s relationship to the deceased person<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employee\u2019s travel and funeral arrangements<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Religious considerations and customs\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your policy will be unable to cover all possible situations, so it would be wise to merely use your bereavement policy as a guideline that managers can deviate from when appropriate to adapt to the employee\u2019s circumstances.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Offering pay and longer bereavement leave appropriate to the employee\u2019s circumstance would be much appreciated by employees who will then be more engaged and active at work. This will also help to attract new and better talent to your company as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/employeebenefits.co.uk\/why-employee-benefits-influence-job-choice\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">78% of employees<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> use the benefits package to judge job offers. It will also allow you to reduce your staff turnover and increase the retention rate as a study by Willis Watson Towers shows that <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/employeebenefits.co.uk\/why-employee-benefits-influence-job-choice\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">75% of employees<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are likely to stay on with an employer that offers a good benefits package.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-475 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.harmonizehq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Bereavement-Leave-Laws-min-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"Bereavement Leave Laws\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.harmonizehq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Bereavement-Leave-Laws-min-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.harmonizehq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Bereavement-Leave-Laws-min-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.harmonizehq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Bereavement-Leave-Laws-min-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.harmonizehq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Bereavement-Leave-Laws-min-930x620.jpg 930w, https:\/\/blog.harmonizehq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Bereavement-Leave-Laws-min.jpg 1195w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Laws Around the World<\/span><\/h2>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><b>Country<\/b><\/td>\n<td><b>Bereavement Leave Rules<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">United States<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is no regulation for paid bereavement leave in any state except for Oregon. It is left to be defined by company policy. On average, 3 days of bereavement leave is provided for the death of close family members. If employees want unpaid leave \u2013 the Family and Medical Leave Act allows for up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Oregon \u2013 employees that work at least 25 hours a week for at least 180 in a year are entitled to 2 weeks of paid bereavement leave. For further info, see the Oregon Family Leave Act.\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">United Kingdom<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employees have a right to take a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/time-off-for-dependants\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">reasonable amount of time<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to deal with emergencies. There are no limits on time \u2013 this is left to employers to decide. There is no obligation on an employer to pay employees.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Any person has a right to time off if a dependent dies. A dependant includes:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Partners<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Parents<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Children (under 18)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another person that relies on them<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recently, Jack\u2019s Law has been implemented to allow parents to take 2 weeks off if their child dies or if a baby is stillborn after 24 weeks. This is called parental bereavement leave.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employers cannot treat an employee differently for taking time off, dismiss them, choose them for redundancy, or refuse them for reasonable time off.\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is no legal entitlement to bereavement leave. Most companies offer 7 days of paid leave when an immediate family member dies. Immediate family members include parents, grandparents, siblings, spouses, children, and in-laws.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">China<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By law, employees are entitled to between 1 to 3 days off when a parent, spouse or child dies. In practice, most employees receive 3 days off and the policy extends to cover in-laws as well.\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Brazil<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By law, employees are entitled to paid bereavement leave for 2 consecutive days where there is a death in the immediate family. Immediate family includes spouses, children, parents and siblings.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In practice, the bereavement leave can extend up to 5 days and covers grandparents as well.\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Japan<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By law, employers must grant <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">kibiki kyuka <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(condolence leave) to full-time employees. For a spouse, child or parent, employees are granted up to 5 days. For grandparents, siblings or grandchildren, employees receive three days.\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">France<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employees are entitled to a leave of absence. The duration of the leave is dependent on the relationship with the deceased.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employees receive 3 days for the death of a:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Spouse or partner<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Parent\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Father or mother-in-law<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sibling\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employees receive 5 days for the death of a child.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Evidence such as a certificate of death has to be produced by the employee for the leave to be granted.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Spain<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As standard, 2 days of paid leave is granted but this can be extended up to 4 days or longer based on the employer\u2019s policy and the employee\u2019s circumstances. Only the first 2 days are likely to be paid.\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Canada<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employees may take 5 days of bereavement leave in the case of the death of a member in their immediate family. The leave can be taken between the date of the death and 6 weeks after the date of a funeral or memorial service.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The employer can extend the period of the leave. An employee who has been employed by the employer for three consecutive months is entitled to be paid for the first 3 days of the leave.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For further information, visit the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/employment-social-development\/services\/labour-standards\/reports\/bereavement-leave.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Canadian Government website<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">New Zealand<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employees who have worked for the employer for a period of 6 months are entitled to:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3 days for the death of a:\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Spouse or partner\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Parent\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Child\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sibling\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Grandparent<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Grandchild\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Father or mother-in-law<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1 day for the death of another person and the employer agrees that there has been a bereavement. This is decided by looking at the closeness of their relationship, whether they have responsibility for arranging the funeral or other service or if they have any cultural responsibilities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Follow <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=SoC31gFEwAs\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">this link<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for a video that explains the NZ law.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-477 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.harmonizehq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Days-of-Bereavement-Leave-Granted-by-Country.png\" alt=\"Days of Bereavement Leave Granted by Country\" width=\"600\" height=\"350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.harmonizehq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Days-of-Bereavement-Leave-Granted-by-Country.png 600w, https:\/\/blog.harmonizehq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Days-of-Bereavement-Leave-Granted-by-Country-300x175.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/h2>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Examples of Companies\u2019 Bereavement Policies<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Quite a few well-known companies offer comprehensive bereavement leave to their staff. A few of these are outlined below so that you can draw some inspiration:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Facebook<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since 2017, Facebook has offered employees 20 days of fully paid bereavement leave to mourn the death of immediate family members.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Microsoft<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employees can take up to three days of paid bereavement leave or up to five days if they have to travel. This applies to the death of a spouse, partner, child or close relative.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>National Health Service (NHS UK)<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employees are entitled to one full working week of paid leave. This can be extended by another working week by the manager. This applies to the death of a partner, close family member or dependent.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Samsung Electronics<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employees are given between 3 to 5 days of bereavement leave depending on the relationship to the family member and other circumstances.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Pfizer<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employees at Pfizer are allowed to take up to 7 consecutive calendar days off at the basic rate of pay if someone in the employee\u2019s immediate family dies. If further leave is required, the employee must talk to their manager.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Blackrock\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employees are offered a flexible bereavement leave policy where each application is examined on its own merit and leave is granted on that basis, after consideration of relevant circumstances.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Covid-19 Considerations<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The troubled times we live in means that HR has had to look at more extensive leave offerings for employees. Employees are now being provided <a href=\"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/types-of-leaves-leave-policy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">extended COVID sick leaves<\/a> and bereavement leaves.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employees will be entitled to bereavement leave if it is within the law of your country or if it is provided for in your company\u2019s policy.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bereavement Leave Policy Clause Examples\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><b>Clause<\/b><\/td>\n<td><b>Clause Contents<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1. Overview and Eligibility<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1a. All full and part-time employees of \u2018the company\u2019 are entitled to bereavement leave subject to the following clauses in the bereavement leave policy and the entirety of the employee\u2019s contract of employment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1b. Employees who have been employed by \u2018the company\u2019 for a period no less than 6 years may take an additional 3 days of paid leave.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1c. We understand that this is a difficult time for everyone, so the HR team will be ready to support all employees throughout this process. \u2018The company\u2019 will endeavour to support your emotional and physical well-being during this time.\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2. Purpose<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2a. Bereavement leave is offered so that the employee can handle funeral arrangements and grieve. We are committed to the emotional well-being of our team and if employees need any further assistance, the HR team should be contacted.\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3. Length and Pay<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3a. All employees may claim bereavement leave for a period of 5 days when a close family member has died.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3b. All employees may claim bereavement leave for a period of 2 days when another family member, a close friend or pet has died.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3c. All employees may apply to extend their bereavement leave for a period no longer than 21 days.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3d. The first two days of all bereavement leave will be paid. The rest will not be paid.\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4. Close Family Member<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4a. For the purposes of the company&#8217;s bereavement leave policy, a close family member is limited to include only:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Spouses or partners;\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Children<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Parents<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Siblings<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Guardians; if the employee was majority brought up by their guardians.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5. Considerations<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5a. Managers or representatives of \u2018the company\u2019 will take any personal circumstances of the employee into account when deciding the length of the leave. Additional days can be granted for cultural responsibilities, religious ceremonies, or travel.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5b. Employees may request bereavement leave for the passing of other individuals who were close to the employee.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5c. Managers and representatives of \u2018the company\u2019 will endeavour to analyse each application on its own merit and arrive at a fair conclusion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5d. Employees who take bereavement leave may return to their post at the end of their approved period of leave. This is only applicable if the employee has applied for bereavement leave through the official channels. The official procedure is detailed in clause 6a.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5e. Where employees take bereavement leave, they can work from home and liaise with clients if they wish. However, there is no expectation that the employee will work during this time. The workload of the employee should be split evenly with other members of staff in the same department where possible.\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">6. Process of Applying<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">6a. Employees wishing to take bereavement leave should complete the application form which can be obtained through the intranet or directly from your manager. It should be filled out and returned to your manager.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">6b. Managers should only ask for the name of the deceased when confirming the leave. However, managers are entitled to (without having to provide a reason) ask for proof of death, such as a death certificate, if any suspicions arise.\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">7. Complaints<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">7a. Any complaints and questions can be brought up directly to Human Resources. Details of your HR contact should be provided by your manager.\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sample Form to Request Bereavement Leave<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When applying for bereavement leave, employees are likely to be in a frantic state. HR needs to have a unified policy in place to apply for bereavement leave. A sample form to request bereavement leave is given below:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-476 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.harmonizehq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Bereavement-Leave-Template.png\" alt=\"Bereavement Leave Template\" width=\"487\" height=\"630\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.harmonizehq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Bereavement-Leave-Template.png 487w, https:\/\/blog.harmonizehq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Bereavement-Leave-Template-232x300.png 232w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 487px) 100vw, 487px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Bereavement is a duration of hurt and grief experienced by an individual &#8211; typically over the loss of a very close relative. This is a&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":474,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v18.4.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The Global Guide to Bereavement Leave | HarmonizeHQ<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"This article explores what bereavement leave is, including its expectations, and its benefits to the individual as well as to the company.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.harmonizehq.com\/blog\/bereavement-leave\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Global Guide to Bereavement Leave | HarmonizeHQ\" 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