Looking for a bereavement policy for a small business?

Question

Do most businesses honor this policy?

Does this policy usual cover part time employees too?

Answer 1

Of course, you should review the local employment laws. But beyond that, you want to build the respect of your employees. You don't need to make them "your friend", but you want them to believe that you are a decent human being, with the compassion of a good employer. Three days seems like an adequate rule, but if the person must fly out of state for the funeral arrangements, they won't be able to get any discounts if they can't be away over the Saturday night. You are a small business, so hopefully, you won't run into this situation very often. So you can make special considerations for cases that come up.

I strict policy doesn't do you any good if an employee is stuck at his/her desk BAWLING all day.

Answer 2

http://www.hr.upenn.edu/policy/policies/609.asp
Funeral Leave for an Immediate Family Member:

When a death occurs in an employee’s immediate family, all regular full time employees may take up to three (3) days off with pay to attend the funeral or make funeral arrangements. The pay for time off will be prorated for a part-time employee if the funeral occurs on a scheduled work day. The Company may require verification of the need for the leave.

Immediate Family Defined for Bereavement Leave:
Immediate family members are defined as an employee’s spouse, parents, stepparents, siblings, children, stepchildren, grandparent, father-in-law, mother-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, or grandchild.

Non-family Member Funeral Leave:
All regular, full-time employees may take up to one (1) day off with pay to attend the funeral of a close, non-family member. This time off will be considered by the employee's supervisor on a case-by-case basis. The pay for time off will be prorated for a part-time employee if the funeral occurs on scheduled work days. The supervisor should confirm that the time is recorded accurately on the timecards. The Company may require verification of the need for the leave.

Additional Time Off:
The Company understands the deep impact that death can have on an individual or a family, therefore additional non-paid time off may be granted. The employee may make arrangements with his or her supervisor for an additional four unpaid days off in the instance of the death of an immediate family member. Additional unpaid time off may be granted depending on the circumstances such as distance and the individual’s responsibility for funeral arrangements.

Disclaimer:
This sample policy is provided for guidance only. The provided information - policies, procedures, samples, examples, and guidelines - while authoritative, is not guaranteed for accuracy and legality. While I make every effort to provide and link accurate, legal, and complete information, I cannot guarantee it is correct. Please seek legal assistance, or assistance from State, Federal, or International governmental resources, to make certain your legal interpretation

Answer 3

Each staff member will be granted five (5) workdays immediately following the death of an immediate relative without loss of pay. An "immediate relative" is defined as: spouse, child, step-child, parent, stepparent , grandparent, grandchild, brother or sister. Each staff member will be granted three (3) consecutive
work days immediately following the death of a near relative without loss of pay.
A "near" relative is defined as follows: father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-inlaw , and any other relative who is a permanent resident of the employee's home. All granted bereavement days must be used within a two-week period. For the purpose of attending the funeral of any other near relative, an employee may be granted a maximum of one day's absence without loss of pay.

Answer 4

One of the companies I used to work at had a terrible one - only members of immediate family - mother/father/sister/brother/grandmother/grandfather was considered reasons to missed work for death - and of course yourself!@