To miss training day after leave?

[MelMar1]

Sadly I lost a grandparent recently. My bereavement leave entitlement has ended and I am going back to work. But the first day I am due back, is a training day. It is on a topic I’ve done previous courses in but boss told us all it’s important to attend. I was heavily involved in helping with the funeral arrangements and I feel absolutely exhausted. It’s been a difficult and emotional week. I am going back to my job but the thoughts of facing this training day which is a lot of networking and talking to people don’t know, is making me feel drained already. AIBU to ask to take this day unpaid leave? And go back to my proper job the next day? Or does it look bad. And if I ask for it, how do I explain?

That sounds hard and am so sorry for your loss

Is it a training course you can do another time, do they do them every few months?

If you are really not ready to go back, ask to extend your leave. Depending on their compassionate leave policy, you may need to take holiday

However, you could look at it another way; lots of people there won't know, so won't be asking you questions. It will be a very structured day with someone else taking a lot of the mental load and organisation, rather than going back to whatever you normally do, so might actually ease you in a bit

YANBU
Take the day, book it as sick or leave or unpaid. Take the day.
Work would replace you in a heartbeat if you got hit by a bus, take the day.

What you seem to be saying is that a standard day at work with time to catch up you could do, but need peace and quiet as much as is needed.

So have a conversation and make that offer. If it looks bad, that is the other people who have the issue and are cold-hearted.