Time off when parent dies

[Pasithea]

Hi

MIL passed away this morning. Due to staff being off. DH work want him in this afternoon and rest of week.
Does anyone know if there is a legal entitlement to leave in these circumstances.

Obviously it's your choice not to the answer the question re grief but the fact is, some people are affected severely by grief, so much so that breathing and putting one foot in front of the other is difficult, never mind dragging yourself into work. What good would they be at work anyway, in a state like that

But that is covered by sick leave surely?

Something else I wonder - when companies are operating on these margins, do they say something to staff at interview? I once had "discretionary sick leave" which effectively meant they wouldn't pay you for being ill. I took that job because I had no "fuck off" money in the bank but I left after 3 weeks because I was offered work with a better company

I don't know the answer because I don't have a discretionary sick leave policy for my staff and have never been subject to one personally but the three largest employers I have worked for all had this for support staff. I assume it was explained properly when people got their contracts, but I'm sure there is plenty of bad practice.

Fast day, sorry, I should not have put those 2 sentences together.

It's the first bit - about companies operating on such tight margins - that I wonder. Discretionary sick pay is obviously written in a contract so a potential employee can see it and question it. But with a company running on tight margins and feeling like they can't manage to give a couple of weeks emergency leave - even unpaid because they can't get any kind of cover for whatever reason - do they say that to employees, I wonder? I've never worked in a position where it's impossible to get cover so I honestly don't know.

Oh I see. that makes more sense. Though I still think people might not totally get what it means particularly not if it's their first job.

Anyway I feel like I have derailed everything by sticking up for these imaginary horrible bosses so I'll stop. Am hoping OP's DH has long since sorted out some leave. I'd be looking around for another job though in his position.

When my father died suddenly last year I took just over a week off work (until after the results of post mortem were through) it was all unpaid leave as was the day off for his funeral. Things like taking my mum to register the death and organising the funeral had to be done in my own time and it was particularly difficult as work was busy and so I worked a very long day as a Carer the day before the funeral and was back at work first thing the next morning. Would have been nice to get some sort of payment for the week immediately after his death but my company only pay SSP with a GP certificate and have no provision for compassionate/emergency leave to be paid.

But that is covered by sick leave surely? I don't know, I'm not in the business of employing people.

If you're not well enough to work then you should get a sick note and what you describe is definitely grounds for a sick note not bereavement leave.

Things like taking my mum to register the death and organising the funeral had to be done in my own time and it was particularly difficult as work was busy and so I worked a very long day as a Carer the day before the funeral and was back at work first thing the next morning.

But you weren't unfit to work, so it isn't sick leave and there is no entitlement to bereavement leave. Where would you draw the line? 2-3 weeks for everyone? small businesses would really struggle with that. If you're sick a GP can sign you off, but if not then it's generally unpaid leave.

Your husband needs to phone in sick and grieve at his own pace. Then he needs to find a new employer. Absolute bastards.

Sorry for your loss.

microsvope, no my point was I had time off but it was unpaid and very limited. The comment about sick leave was to show they don't even pay for the 7 days you can self certify, only if/when you produce a certificate from GP. It would be nice to think that, as with annual leave, they could calculate a payment based on average weekly earnings or level with SSP rates. I don't think there should be a fixed time limit but you'd think they'd not chase you to be back at work straight after the loss of a close relative as in the op's DH case.

When my father died earlier this year I was in shock for 36 hours. A GP can sign someone off on sick leave for similar.

My work gave me 2 weeks off. But I was very young mid 20s and my father was also very young mid 40s. Also it was a complete shock. I literally couldn't walk or speak for the first week

I'm sorry to hear about your MIL💐

Your DH's employers are wankers, but really that shouldn't come as a surprise after the way the treated him previously.

When my Dad died I wasn't working, which was both good & bad. However, if I had been working & hadn't been able to take the leave I needed I'd have told them where they could shove their job. However, I appreciate that's not a possibility for everyone.

I'd make getting another job a priority once he's feeling able, they don't bloody own him as the seem to think they do.

When my dad died very suddenly his GP came to visit my mum to see how she was. He gave both my brother and I sick lines to.cover past the funeral and give us time to get to our own GPs

Sick leave was totally appropriate then as neither of us were fit to work