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Bereavement leave, also known as compassionate leave, is a workplace policy that allows employees time off to mourn the passing of a close family member or loved one. It acknowledges the emotional toll of such events and aims to support employees during challenging times.
By offering bereavement leave, companies can foster a culture of support and empathy, which can lead to increased employee loyalty and morale. In the past eight years, the percentage of employers that offer paid bereavement leave has increased by 10 percent.
Key Takeaways:
Bereavement leave allows employees time off following the death of a close family member to grieve, attend funeral services, and handle related matters. Key reasons for using this leave include:
The duration varies among employers. Typically, it ranges from a few days to a week of paid leave, providing employees with immediate support while allowing flexibility for individual mourning processes.
Some companies may provide different leave policies depending on the relative. For example, companies often offer longer leave for the death of immediate family members. Regional differences, such as laws in European countries versus the U.S., and cultural factors, like longer mourning periods in some cultures, can influence the amount of leave granted. Company policies may also provide paid or unpaid leave, depending on the relationship to the deceased.
Most policies extend to immediate family members, including parents, siblings, spouses, domestic partners, and children. However, some policies may also include close friends or extended family members. A company’s bereavement policy should address who is considered an immediate family member and how much leave can be taken depending on the deceased family member.
In addition to the relationship to the deceased, eligibility criteria also depends on an employee’s work status:
The legal landscape varies globally and locally. Some jurisdictions mandate a minimum period, while others leave it to the discretion of employers. Familiarizing yourself with local labor laws is important to ensure compliance when implementing a bereavement leave policy.
In the U.S., employers with 50 or more employees may also have to adhere to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Similar to sick leave under the FMLA in the U.S., federal law has not mandated bereavement leave. However, five states (namely California, Illinois, Maryland, Oregon, and Washington) have made it mandatory for employers to provide bereavement leave to their employees.
On the other hand, in countries like France, eligible employees are entitled to 3 days of paid leave to attend the funeral of a covered family member (spouse, child, or parent).
A bereavement policy is a set of guidelines and procedures that defines how an organization supports employees who experience the loss of a loved one. The policy should outline the eligibility, duration, and process for taking bereavement leave, as well as any support offered during this difficult time. Here’s a breakdown of what a comprehensive bereavement policy typically includes:
Payment during bereavement leave depends on company policies. Some employers offer paid leave as part of their benefits package, while others provide unpaid time off. If your company offers bereavement leave, make sure your policies are clear to employees, so they can make better informed decisions during such difficult times.
While bereavement leave is not mandated, it is as valuable to your benefits package as sick leave and other benefits. Bereavement leave is not only advantageous to employees but may prove beneficial to employers as well for the following reasons:
While not all employers offer paid bereavement leave, those that do typically have clear guidelines on how the pay is calculated, depending on factors such as the employee's salary structure, working hours, and company policies.
The way employers calculate bereavement pay will vary depending on whether the employee is exempt (salaried) or non-exempt (hourly). Salaried employees typically receive their regular pay for the days off during bereavement leave, regardless of the number of hours they work each day. In contrast, hourly employees are usually paid for the actual hours they would have worked during the leave period, so the amount will be based on their hourly rate.
Example#1 (Salaried employee):
A Marketing Manager earns $4,000 per month and takes 5 days of paid bereavement leave as per the company policy.
Calculation: As a salaried employee, the employee is paid the same amount regardless of whether they work or take leave. In this case, the employee is on bereavement leave for 5 days. Since the employee is salaried and earns a set amount each month, they will receive their full salary for the month, which is $4,000, even though they took 5 days off for bereavement leave.
Example#2 (Hourly employee):
A Customer Service Representative who earns $15 per hour and works 40 hours per week (8 hours per day, Monday through Friday) takes 3 days of paid leave as per the company policy.
Calculation: For this hourly employee, bereavement pay is based on their regular hourly rate and the number of hours they would have worked during the leave period.
The employee works 8 hours per day, so the total number of hours for 3 days of bereavement leave is 8 hours/day x 3 days = 24 hours.
The employee’s hourly wage is $15 per hour, so the bereavement pay for 3 days would be calculated as:
24 hours x 15 dollars/ hour =360 dollars
Therefore, the employee will receive $360 in bereavement pay for the 3 days they took off for bereavement leave.
Bereavement leave plays a crucial role in supporting employees during one of life’s most challenging and emotional times. While it is not always legally required, offering paid or unpaid bereavement leave can have significant benefits for employers. These benefits include:
Managing employee benefits can be complex, especially with varying regulations across states and industries. Using Playroll’s EOR services, you can streamline onboarding, global payroll, and benefits administration in over 180 countries.
Our platform simplifies global workforce management, ensuring compliance with all statutory benefits required by law while offering flexible options for supplemental benefits. Ready to provide top-notch benefits to your employees? Book a demo with Playroll today!
Provide your team with a robust benefits package that includes efficient and compassionate bereavement leave management. Playroll ensures your company remains compliant while keeping employees supported during difficult times.
Explore Benefits.png)
By offering bereavement leave, companies can foster a culture of support and empathy, which can lead to increased employee loyalty and morale. In the past eight years, the percentage of employers that offer paid bereavement leave has increased by 10 percent.
Key Takeaways:
Bereavement leave allows employees time off following the death of a close family member to grieve, attend funeral services, and handle related matters. Key reasons for using this leave include:
The duration varies among employers. Typically, it ranges from a few days to a week of paid leave, providing employees with immediate support while allowing flexibility for individual mourning processes.
Some companies may provide different leave policies depending on the relative. For example, companies often offer longer leave for the death of immediate family members. Regional differences, such as laws in European countries versus the U.S., and cultural factors, like longer mourning periods in some cultures, can influence the amount of leave granted. Company policies may also provide paid or unpaid leave, depending on the relationship to the deceased.
Most policies extend to immediate family members, including parents, siblings, spouses, domestic partners, and children. However, some policies may also include close friends or extended family members. A company’s bereavement policy should address who is considered an immediate family member and how much leave can be taken depending on the deceased family member.
In addition to the relationship to the deceased, eligibility criteria also depends on an employee’s work status:
The legal landscape varies globally and locally. Some jurisdictions mandate a minimum period, while others leave it to the discretion of employers. Familiarizing yourself with local labor laws is important to ensure compliance when implementing a bereavement leave policy.
In the U.S., employers with 50 or more employees may also have to adhere to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Similar to sick leave under the FMLA in the U.S., federal law has not mandated bereavement leave. However, five states (namely California, Illinois, Maryland, Oregon, and Washington) have made it mandatory for employers to provide bereavement leave to their employees.
On the other hand, in countries like France, eligible employees are entitled to 3 days of paid leave to attend the funeral of a covered family member (spouse, child, or parent).
A bereavement policy is a set of guidelines and procedures that defines how an organization supports employees who experience the loss of a loved one. The policy should outline the eligibility, duration, and process for taking bereavement leave, as well as any support offered during this difficult time. Here’s a breakdown of what a comprehensive bereavement policy typically includes:
Payment during bereavement leave depends on company policies. Some employers offer paid leave as part of their benefits package, while others provide unpaid time off. If your company offers bereavement leave, make sure your policies are clear to employees, so they can make better informed decisions during such difficult times.
While bereavement leave is not mandated, it is as valuable to your benefits package as sick leave and other benefits. Bereavement leave is not only advantageous to employees but may prove beneficial to employers as well for the following reasons:
While not all employers offer paid bereavement leave, those that do typically have clear guidelines on how the pay is calculated, depending on factors such as the employee's salary structure, working hours, and company policies.
The way employers calculate bereavement pay will vary depending on whether the employee is exempt (salaried) or non-exempt (hourly). Salaried employees typically receive their regular pay for the days off during bereavement leave, regardless of the number of hours they work each day. In contrast, hourly employees are usually paid for the actual hours they would have worked during the leave period, so the amount will be based on their hourly rate.
Example#1 (Salaried employee):
A Marketing Manager earns $4,000 per month and takes 5 days of paid bereavement leave as per the company policy.
Calculation: As a salaried employee, the employee is paid the same amount regardless of whether they work or take leave. In this case, the employee is on bereavement leave for 5 days. Since the employee is salaried and earns a set amount each month, they will receive their full salary for the month, which is $4,000, even though they took 5 days off for bereavement leave.
Example#2 (Hourly employee):
A Customer Service Representative who earns $15 per hour and works 40 hours per week (8 hours per day, Monday through Friday) takes 3 days of paid leave as per the company policy.
Calculation: For this hourly employee, bereavement pay is based on their regular hourly rate and the number of hours they would have worked during the leave period.
The employee works 8 hours per day, so the total number of hours for 3 days of bereavement leave is 8 hours/day x 3 days = 24 hours.
The employee’s hourly wage is $15 per hour, so the bereavement pay for 3 days would be calculated as:
24 hours x 15 dollars/ hour =360 dollars
Therefore, the employee will receive $360 in bereavement pay for the 3 days they took off for bereavement leave.
Bereavement leave plays a crucial role in supporting employees during one of life’s most challenging and emotional times. While it is not always legally required, offering paid or unpaid bereavement leave can have significant benefits for employers. These benefits include:
Managing employee benefits can be complex, especially with varying regulations across states and industries. Using Playroll’s EOR services, you can streamline onboarding, global payroll, and benefits administration in over 180 countries.
Our platform simplifies global workforce management, ensuring compliance with all statutory benefits required by law while offering flexible options for supplemental benefits. Ready to provide top-notch benefits to your employees? Book a demo with Playroll today!
Provide your team with a robust benefits package that includes efficient and compassionate bereavement leave management. Playroll ensures your company remains compliant while keeping employees supported during difficult times.
Explore Benefits
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Bereavement leave typically ranges from 1 to 3 days for the death of an immediate family member, though some employers may offer up to a week for closer relationships like a spouse or child. In countries like Spain and Poland, employees are usually entitled to 2 to 4 days of paid leave for close family members. Many employers offer flexibility or additional leave, often using personal or vacation days, to support employees during extended grieving periods.
Whether bereavement leave uses PTO depends on the employer’s policy. In some companies, bereavement leave is separate from PTO and doesn’t affect employees’ PTO balance, while in others, it may be combined with PTO or require employees to use PTO for additional time off.
Bereavement leave is generally broader, covering time off for grieving and funeral arrangements, while funeral leave specifically refers to attending the funeral or memorial service. The two terms often overlap, with funeral leave typically included as part of bereavement leave, though some companies may define them separately.
Bereavement leave is specifically for time off following the death of a loved one, while compassionate leave is a broader term that covers time off for various personal or family emergencies, including death, serious illness, or caregiving. Essentially, bereavement leave is a type of compassionate leave, but compassionate leave can apply to a wider range of situations beyond just bereavement.
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