Who Is Considered Immediate Family for Bereavement Leave
A bereavement leave is the time you are allowed to be off from work to heal and grieve for losing a loved one. This off is granted to every employee who is considered immediate family for bereavement leave.
Who Is Considered Immediate Family for Bereavement Leave
1. Parents and grandparents:
If you are a parent, say the mother or the father of the deceased, you may get a grant for bereavement leave. This is due to the close nuclear family relationship you have with the deceased.
If you are a grandparent, a grandmother, or a grandfather, you have a close extended family relationship with the deceased. You can qualify for bereavement leave to grieve the sudden demise of such a loved one.
A step-parent may not necessarily be considered as an immediate family for bereavement leave. However, if they had a close relationship and lived with the deceased, they may qualify for bereavement leave.
2. Sons and daughters:
The departed could be your mom or your dad. Since you are their daughter or son, you share a close nuclear relationship with them. You are thus an individual who is considered immediate family for bereavement leave.
3. Brothers and sisters:
In other cases, it could happen that you shared biological parents with the deceased. If you’re a brother or a sister to the departed, you will be considered their immediate family member.
Note: You may be a half-sibling. Half-siblings share only one parent, maybe a mother or a father. In such cases, you may not be considered an immediate family for bereavement leave.
In some cases, you qualify for the status of an immediate family, depending on your relationship with the deceased.
4. Grandsons and granddaughters:
A grandparent could pass away due to age or illness. If your biological parents are the deceased’s children, you are an immediate family member. As a granddaughter or grandson, you may qualify for bereavement leave. You shared a close relationship from an extended family point of view.
5. Cousins:
There are two types of cousins; maternal and paternal. A maternal cousin is one from the mother’s side. A paternal cousin is from the father’s side.
Whether you are a maternal or a paternal cousin to the deceased, you share a close relationship with them as an extended family. As their relative, you are also an individual who is considered immediate family for bereavement leave.
6. Aunts and uncles:
As an aunt or uncle, you may lose a niece or a nephew. In case of their unfortunate demise, you may qualify for bereavement leave to grieve the loss of such loved ones.
In some cases, you may be living with your niece(s) or/and nephew(s) to fill the gap of their parents. It brings your relation closer to them, whether you are their maternal aunt/uncle or paternal aunt/uncle.
7. Guardian:
A guardian is someone given the legal responsibility to take care of an individual; child, or adult who has no capacity to take care of themselves. Since a guardian plays the role a parent or a grandparent would otherwise play, they may qualify as individual who is considered immediate family for bereavement leave..
Is Bereavement Leave Paid for?
Well, the answer to this question is subjective. It depends on your employer.
Some employers may offer bereavement pay for the few days you will be away. Others may not have such offers for employees who lose their loved ones.
Whether a bereavement leave is paid may also depend on how you perceive it as an employee.
Some may assume that bereavement leave is paid for by default because the days they will be off from work will not be deducted from their monthly salary. Others may assume it is not paid because they never received any monetary stipend from the employer.
How Many Days Are Granted as Bereavement Leave?
Generally, most companies offer between three and five days in their work leave policies. Some companies may offer more days to immediate family members depending on their bereavement leave policy.
You may be working for a company offering just three days, but you can request an extension. It is possible to get an extension of days for your bereavement leave. You are working with human beings who understand the magnitude of losing a close family member.
Who Can Grant Me A Bereavement Leave?
Your manager or head of the HR department can grant you a bereavement leave. If you work for a big company where formality and documentation are the order of the day, you may write a letter to this individual for your request.
If you are working with a small business enterprise, you may request bereavement leave with word of mouth if such is an accessible channel. In some small businesses without a manager or head of HR, you may directly seek bereavement leave from your employer.
What Is an Example of Bereavement?
One may have an aged grandparent whose health is deteriorating daily due to a terminal disease. In case of imminent death, one may apply for bereavement leave to grief losing such a grandparent.
