Special Leave for Funerals, Customs Across Countries & How It’s Handled

There isn’t a harmonised custom for funeral leave in the EU because all countries in the EU have national laws providing the leave.

- In Spain, two to four days is typical with paid leave for first and second-degree relatives.

- In Germany, two days is customary, and employers have a good track record of granting one to two weeks of leave.

- Poland, two days for the death of a spouse, child, mother, father, stepmother, grandparent, sibling, or close family member.

- Belgium offers three days between the date of the death and the funeral.

- Ireland, Finland and Denmark don’t have any official legislation, leaving time off to the employer.

- Netherlands, Malta, and Czech Republic provide reasonable time off without any set duration.

The law protects the right to time off for parents who lose a child, with a minimum of one week of leave within 56 days after the death. It’s unpaid, but employers have the opportunity to provide full pay during the time off.

It is best practice for employers to provide time off with pay to ensure minimal stress on the employee, but of course, only to a point. One to two weeks of full pay is typical for bereavement and shows courtesy.

The funeral will form part of the time off in most cases, and it is customary for only people who are invited to attend. Invites are handled by post in most cases, but it isn’t unusual for a WhatsApp, text message, or email these days.

Reasonable Leave

The word “reasonable” is thrown around a fair bit for special funeral leave. It effectively means leave should be provided as soon as it’s realistic or feasible under the circumstances, to benefit the bereaved without putting the employer at a disadvantage.

There is absolutely no legal right to time off if the person who died wasn’t a dependent, so the word reasonable comes into play here. If the employer is reasonable, then they will grant leave for you to attend a funeral for someone important to you.

There isn’t a federal law that makes special leave for funerals a requirement in the USA, making it a company or state benefit. Saying that, it’s normal for employers to offer three to five days, and to let employees choose when to take them.

Some states have differing regulations for paid and unpaid leave, with Washington providing up to five days of paid bereavement leave for the death of a family or household member, or loss of pregnancy.

The person responsible for human resources in your business is the best person to discuss bereavement with. They will review company policy and consider your role and requirements before making any decisions.

To submit your request:

- Write a formal email, asking for time off and the dates of the funeral, or the dates you expect the funeral to take place.

- Write a letter explaining the same, and hand-deliver it to human resources or your manager, noting within your letter that you have also sent an email version.

- Optionally, make a phone call to the decision maker in your business, and ask them to see about granting time off for the funeral.

The person responsible for human resources in your business is the best person to discuss bereavement with. They will review company policy and consider your role and requirements before making any decisions.

To submit your request:

• Write a formal email, asking for time off and the dates of the funeral, or the dates you expect the funeral to take place.
• Write a letter explaining the same, and hand-deliver it to human resources or your manager, noting within your letter that you have also sent an email version.
• Optionally, make a phone call to the decision maker in your business, and ask them to see about granting time off for the funeral.

For Employers: How to Handle Special Leave Requests

The best scenario is granting funeral leave for whoever needs it and providing at least a working week for their bereavement, but your business might not be in a position to allow staff to take unplanned time off.

Here are some scenarios:

You CAN grant time off

• Call or speak in person with your employee, tell them you’re granting them time off, and let them choose the dates. Letting them choose provides the flexibility they need to attend the funeral and see to family matters.

You CAN’T grant time off

• Provide an alternative, such as time off on X date, or a few days off next week with pay, rather than granting time off for a funeral. It won’t go down well and will create resentment, but at least it’s something.

What NOT to do

• Tell them they’ve already had too much time off.
• Mention that the death isn’t significant enough to warrant leave.

What TO do

• Respond in good time, don’t leave the person guessing.
• Provide some kind of support, such as extra breaks or leaving a bit early.
• Consider sympathy flowers if they have a place and have them delivered to an appropriate place.

Your response either way should be professional and uncondescending, so don’t hammer the line that you’re so sorry for their loss.

Returning to work following a funeral is a slap down to reality. There’s a chance you can think of nothing worse than being there, but then again, that means there’s no nicer thought than clocking off. Swings and roundabouts, as they say.

Ease back into your role and try not to think about the funeral or your loss. Keep it together and work with the mindset that you’re getting stuff done.

A productive schedule will see you through difficult times and provide purpose when all you want to do is be at home. Brightening your day works, too. You can add flowers to your desk, go on walks, and see about those things you’ve been thinking of doing.