To provide staff employees with time off from work when death occurs in their immediate and extended families.

In the event of the death of certain members of staff employees’ families, and upon request, it is the University’s policy to grant paid time off and/or unpaid leave; this paid time off is not to be deducted from employees’ allotment of vacation days or personal holidays.

1. This policy applies to any benefits-eligible staff employee who has completed three (3) consecutive months of service directly preceding a request for bereavement leave.
2. A staff employee should communicate the need for bereavement leave as soon as is practicable.
3. In the event of the death of a staff employee’s parent or foster parent, sister, brother, spouse, University-approved domestic partner, child, step-child, father-in-law, mother-in-law, step-parent, grandparent, grandchild, father or mother of the employee’s University-approved domestic partner:
   
   • The employee is allowed three (3) consecutive days of leave immediately following the death, if requested. The employee will be paid only for those days that fall on his/her regularly scheduled work days.
   • The employee is allowed one additional day of paid leave (for a total of four (4) days paid leave) if travel more than 500 miles each way is involved.
4. A staff employee may request approval for additional time off to be charged against accrued vacation or personal time. If no accrued vacation or personal time is available for requested additional time off, the supervisor may grant leave without pay. The supervisor may contact University Human Resources Management (UHRM) to discuss other options.
5. Supervisor consideration will be given on an individual basis to requests for bereavement leave in the event of the death of a person not bearing a relationship to the staff employee, as stated above.
6. A staff employee may be requested to verify the relationship, death, and distance traveled before the University pays bereavement leave.
7. Bereavement leave is paid on a regular, straight-time basis and is not counted as time worked when computing overtime.
   

U509 Vacation and U511 Personal Holidays