time off work for bereavement
6th February 2009 by admin No Commentstime off work for bereavement
“Grappling with Work and Bereavement: Take Your Time Off”
Taking time off work for bereavement is crucial to every employee’s recovery after a loss of a loved one. Coping with this incident in one’s life is not an easy thing to do, and this is the time when one needs an employer’s sympathy the most.
Allowing time off work for bereavement also sometimes referred to as “compassionate leave” is something that every employee rightfully deserves, even though generally, employers are not bound by law to do so.
In fact, there is no specific Federal law that protects employees’ right to bereavement leave. Then again, most employers voluntarily grant these benefits to attract employees and to retain a smooth employer-employee relationship.
Alas, while most employers will be understanding about what you are going through and be sympathetic enough to offer you time off work for bereavement, some will not.
For the employee, it is really very important that you make yourselves aware of these bereavement benefits and policies of your company, so that when this incident happens, the stresses surrounding a death of a family member will somewhat be alleviated by not anymore worrying too much about not being able to go to work.
For the employer, you should realize that coping with a loss of a family member is not an easy thing to do. Putting your feet on your employees’ shoes will make you feel enough sympathy to grant your employees every right that they deserve.
Coping with a bereavement is probably the most difficult experience that can ever happen to each of us. It can impair our emotional, physical and intellectual functions for a time. Unfortunately, undergoing the process of bereavement is very likely to be experienced by each of us at some point. So once this happens, never hesitate to take your time off.
