Funeral Leave Policy

When a family member of an employee passes away, it’s obviously not an easy time. If you don’t have a policy concerning days off, it can be a little harder. Here is a sample:

The company understands how painful and difficult it can be to lose a family member. This time shouldn’t be made more painful by having to choose between work and a funeral.

Upon the death of a member of an immediate family, regular full-time and part-time employees may receive up to three days paid time off from work to attend the funeral, make necessary arrangements, to travel to and from the funeral if it is out of town, and to assist in settling the estate. The employee will be paid his/her regular base wages for each day of absence up to three days.

Paid funeral leave is available only to those employees who have successfully completed their probationary periods. For the purposes of this policy, immediate family members includes parents, mothers-in-law, father-in-law, siblings, stepparents, spouses, children, grandparents, grandchildren, domestic partners, legal dependents and relatives residing in the employee’s home.

Employees may arrange for additional time off with the approval of their immediate supervisor. That time will be charged to Paid Personal Leave. If Paid Personal Leave is not available, the employee may take time off without pay.

SOURCE: Todd Raphael, Online Editor, and other Workforce staff.