Bereavement Leave

by Jessica Flora

When an employee loses a family member, it can affect the workplace environment. Employers must be willing to accommodate employees during this difficult time. To handle this, employers usually create a bereavement policy that is included in the employee handbook.  

Creating a bereavement policy will demonstrate that the employer cares about the employee during this tough time. Employers sometimes send flowers or a card to the grieving family to show their support.

The survey says:

According to AAIM Employers’ Association’s 2015-2016 Policies and Benefits Survey of 150 St. Louis and central Illinois businesses, the average number of paid days provided to an employee after the death of an immediate family member is 3.3.

Suggestions to consider when creating a bereavement leave policy:

• Define “family member.” “Family” means something different to everyone. It is important to clearly identify who is covered under the bereavement leave policy.

• Outline the communication process. Since this is such a difficult time, providing employees with a required communication method will ensure that they let you know of their needed leave as soon as possible.

• Administer consistently. It is easy for managers to grant extra time to certain employees when requested.  It is important to make sure this is done consistently to ensure everyone is treated fairly.

Jessica Flora, PHR (solutions.team@aaimea.org) is on the Research and Solutions Team for AAIM Employers’ Association, which helps Missouri and Illinois companies manage their people and processes.