Paid time off for a funeral?

[Twilightstarbright]

A friend was ranting about how unfair her employer is for not giving her paid leave for her husband’s uncle’s funeral. They weren’t close and it wasn’t an unexpected or tragic death. She does the type of job where cover will be needed (think retail/hairdresser) and her employer says she can take the time off unpaid but the paid bereavement leave covers immediate family only.

I gently said I could see their point and if she wants to go she can but it’s unpaid leave. For full disclosure, we are Jewish and they will be sitting shiva for 7 days and it’s generally accepted not everyone can be at the funeral given it’s a day or two after the death but you go to shiva to pay respects so the funeral isn’t your only opportunity to show support.

Am I being unfair in thinking her expectations are too much? What’s the policy in your workplace?

It would be unpaid in my workplace (school)

I agree. We get time off at manager's discretion but that's usually for close relatives. My boss is pretty flexible though and I'd probably take annual leave or make up the time if it wasn't someone close.

It would be paid where I work, but in terms of benefits like that I know no one else who works anywhere similar, I’m never leaving…

There isn’t any legal right to time off for bereavement paid time off depends on your company policy.

her husband’s uncle’s funeral. They weren’t close

I’ve never worked anywhere that would have given full pay for this.

Ours is pretty generous, but close blood relatives only plus PILs.

For close family members - spouse, sibling or parent we get paid compassionate leave.

If it was my spouse’s uncle I would use annual leave or flexi time.

My company offer paid for close families and even best friends but husbands uncle, probably amended shifts or time owing or annual leave

We give up to 2 weeks paid bereavement leave but it wouldn’t generally cover an uncle (and definitely not an in-law one). Also compassionate leave at our discretion, which we’d give for the funeral and possibly another day or so.

I'd have to take annual leave for my DH's uncle's funeral.

I work in a school , That would probably be allowed, but definitely unpaid

Depends on the workplace but I’m going to a friend/colleague funeral this week and am doing flexible hours.

That would be unpaid/ use A/L everywhere I have ever worked.

How distant does she think you should get paid leave for? The skivers would have great fun dredging up (or inventing) distant relatives every time they fancied an extra day off.

I've been very lucky to have been given paid time off for a close family friend. But I accepted that it wouldn't be automatically given. My headteacher (work in a school) was very understanding and said it was important ti have the day to say goodbye. I would never expect pay unless immediate family. I think that's normal tbh. I doubt my current head would do the same.

It would be very unusual to get paid time off for that distant a relative.

We would take it as annual leave, so it would be paid, but not extra

I've asked for annual leave for it and been given it paid (about 3 hours - I worked the morning). But I think if I'd asked for it as paid leave I would have been told no, IYKWIM.

In my workplace we would get one day compassionate leave paid, for any funeral we wished to attend.

Unpaid or annual leave.

It would be unpaid for me and if I wanted more than a day then it would have to be annual leave and would depend upon how busy we were.

I'd get paid time off if the funeral was for my DH, my Mum/Dad or any children (not step children) I might have

She's being unrealistic expecting paid leave for a funeral of someone she doesn't know well. Could she have swapped a shift?

I've recently been to half dozen funerals that fell during my working hours and always make up the time (WFH admin role) but if I couldn't do that I'd either not go or take leave.

And as you say she could also attend the shiva.

This would be unpaid or annual leave for me. Company policy states close relative, which has included step parents in the past.
I have been allowed two paid days off for close friends too, so whilst it is at the Directors discretion he does need to drawn a line somewhere.

I would be expected to use holiday or make the time up in my work. I even had to for my grandparents funerals.

In my workplace it’s at the manager’s discretion. I gave one of my employees two days’ paid leave earlier this year for a grandparent’s funeral but that’s obviously closer than spouse’s uncle. I’d probably give one day’s paid leave for this if someone in my team requested it, unless they were a known pisstaker. That said, in our system for some reason it’s easier to do paid leave than unpaid unless it’s for a long period, and we wouldn’t need to arrange cover.