Whether we’re a senior manager in the company or a newly hired university graduate, it happens to all of us.
At some point in our lives, we all lose someone close to us.
We are all prone to losing our loved ones someday and it is important to know how this affects our work arrangements and what benefits are we entitled to.
This term for this type of benefit is called bereavement.
What is bereavement leave?
Bereavement essentially is a benefit for employees in the event of the passing of their loved one. This benefit is usually extended to full-time, permanent employees by their employer to take time off from work, with stipulated compensation. This benefit enables the grieving employee to spend adequate time with their family and relatives as well as handle funeral arrangements for their deceased loved one.
Bereavement leave is also granted to allow grieving employees time off to mentally and emotionally heal and stabilise in some form after their loss, so that their return to the workplace would be less overwhelming as possible.
How does bereavement leave work?
Once an immediate family member has passed away, it is important to notify your employer as soon as in order to discuss the time you need to be away from work. Remember, your position and work responsibilities still have to be performed while you are away. As such, immediately notifying your employer about the death in your family will enable a smoother process of arranging with Human Resources your bereavement benefit. Your work responsibilities can also be appropriately delegated so that productivity is maintained.
In some instances, employees who may have disciplinary issues or may be under some sort of disciplinary action by the company may be required to provide evidence of death such as a medical report or death certificate before bereavement benefits are granted. However, companies typically do not make such requests.
Even though the law has set specific time periods for bereavement, employers may extend leave beyond that time frame to ensure the employee has sufficient time for funeral arrangements and they have sufficiently grieved for the loss of their loved one in order to return to work in sound mental capacity and a steady emotional state.
If at the end of your time away from you work, you need to extend your bereavement leave for personal reasons, you should immediately notify your employer of this. Of course, in some instances you may be required to show just reasoning why your leave ought to be extended with sufficient evidence.
This extension can also be taken from their vacation days, if the employee still has vacation days pending. Note though, that unlike vacation benefits, bereavement time off cannot be pushed back and carried over into the following quarter or year. It must begin and end on the days outlined between you and your manager.
Who is entitled to bereavement leave in Trinidad & Tobago?
While this benefit covers full-time and permanent employees, companies may in their discretion extend a bereavement leave period which they feel is duly sufficient for temporary, part-time or contract employees. Under Industrial law in Trinidad & Tobago, permanent, full-time employees are granted three (3) days of bereavement leave if the death of their family member occurs within the country. Five (5) working days of leave are granted if the death occurred outside of Trinidad & Tobago, to accommodate for flights and other extra arrangements which would have to be made.
Bereavement leave does not actually begin on the day that you receive the news and decide to leave work early. Your stipulated time off period will be agreed between you, your manager and the Human Resources department.
Who is considered immediate family for bereavement pay?
This benefit is provided for the loss of an immediate family member. These include:
- Legally married spouses or common in-law partners;
- Biological and legally adopted children;
- Parents – biological mother and father. Persons who have stood in and represented parental figures during that employee’s life would be granted bereavement. These include adoptive parents, stepparents, legal guardians or close relatives;
- Siblings – biological and adopted brothers and sisters
- Grandparents or grandchildren
For immediate family members as these up to five (5) working days or more may be granted for bereavement leave. Extended family members such as the following may be granted between one (1) to three (3) days leave with pay depending on the circumstances.
- Cousins
- Aunts and uncles
- In-laws – Father, mother, son, daughter, brother or sister-in-law
- Friends
Bereavement can also be extended to employees at the death of one of their colleagues or a former retired staff member who worked at the company. Usually in this case, the company grants time off during working hours for co-workers to attend the funeral services, if their absence from work will not greatly impact the company’s work operations.
How long should I take off work for grief?
You should take the stipulated days that were granted by your manager and HR department. Once your official date of returning to work has been set, you are expected to report to work on that day. Unless properly notified in writing beforehand, failing to show up for work on your agreed date may lead to disciplinary measures being filed against you.
The company will usually be understanding during difficult times like this for you. However, you are to remember to act professional and responsible towards your employer and colleagues and report to work on the date expected or at least provide proper notification in writing with sufficient reasons or evidence for your extended bereavement leave.
