7.16 Bereavement Leave

An employee will be granted a bereavement leave with pay for up to three (3) working days to attend the bereavement of a member of the employee’s immediate family. Bereavement leave is non-accrued leave and is a separate form of paid leave from sick or vacation leave. Should additional time away be needed, the absence will be charged to vacation leave.

Bereavement leave must be arranged with the employee’s supervisor in advance of the leave. The use of leave time must be reported to the employee’s supervisor and recorded on the employee’s attendance sheet or time card.

Immediate family includes parent, step-parent, child, step-child, spouse, brother, sister, mother-in-law, father-in-law, daughter- in-law, son-in- law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, grandparents, and grandchildren.

An employee who is requested to officiate as a minister, pallbearer, usher, or musician at the funeral service for someone other than an immediate member of his/her family must use vacation time for these services.

Should the employee wish to attend the funeral of anyone outside the immediate family, a request should be made to the supervisor as far in advance as possible. The absence will be charged to vacation leave. Supervisors should notify the human resources office when a death in the family has occurred so that an official announcement, with the employee’s approval, can be made to the campus community.