How to ask for Bereavement Time Off at Work

Y’all, it’s been a rough year in my little house. In 12 months, me and my fiancé have lost both of our grandmothers suddenly and now his aunt is facing terminal cancer. He has also changed jobs once so he has little-to-none vacation days. I have a great boss (I’m not just saying this because he reads this) who lets me take time for these things, but most companies won’t—especially for an aunt or distant relative.

The thing is, families are tricky. We grew up next door to both of those grandmothers.  That aunt lived on the other side. She had no children and raised him—OK spoiled him—like he was her own. His most recent trip to Florida to visit her after the diagnosis will probably be the last time he sees her alive. How can you put seeing a dying relative against your job? You can’t, right? You would be heartless, right? Wrong. When all is said and done, you’ll still have to pay your mortgage and feed your family so you can’t get fired. This beloved relative certainly wouldn’t want that. It’s a complicated little situation to be in.

According to SHRM, companies that offer bereavement leave include three days for immediate family and one day for an aunt, uncle, grandparent or in-law.  But what do you do if your company doesn’t offer bereavement leave or you haven’t been there long enough to accrue vacation days?

Here are a few guidelines to get you through:

·         First, review your employee handbook. Check for items pertaining to sick leave or family emergencies.

·         Second, talk to your supervisor. See what he or she recommends.

·         If you can’t get paid time off, ask about unpaid time off.  See if you can arrange a work schedule to make up for the time. My fiancé was able to work out some extra shifts to cover his coworker while he was out with his wife’s upcoming surgery.  Here’s the bottom line: If your family needs you and your boss doesn’t understand, maybe you aren’t working in the right job.

Jessie Gable
Research Assistant
Global Recruiters of Huntsville
Office 256.533.1444 x200
jgable@grnhuntsville.com
www.grnhuntsville.com