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

In the UK, there’s no general legal right to paid bereavement leave. Most employees are entitled to take a reasonable amount of unpaid time off to deal with emergencies involving dependants, which can include attending a funeral. A key exception is Parental Bereavement Leave: if a child under 18 dies or there is a stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy, parents can take up to two weeks of leave within 56 weeks of the loss. This leave may be paid if certain conditions are met. In all other cases, bereavement leave depends on the employer, with many offering a few days off as part of their company policy.

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. However, law does not specify 2 days, and the 1–2 weeks claim is not standard legal practice. Duration is typically determined by collective agreements or employer policy. 

- Poland, two days for the death of a spouse, child, mother, father, stepmother, or stepfather, and one day for grandparent, sibling, in-laws or other dependents.

- Belgium provides bereavement leave (“petit chômage”). The typical statutory rule is 3 days leave for the death of close relatives (parent, child, spouse). For the death of a spouse or child, reforms have expanded leave up to 10 days in some cases.

- Ireland, Finland and Denmark: These countries generally do not have statutory bereavement leave rules in national labour law. They rely on collective agreements or employer policy. However, some sector agreements provide leave, especially in Nordic countries.

- The Netherlands: Dutch law allows short-term leave for urgent personal circumstances under the Work and Care Act (Wet arbeid en zorg). This leave must be “reasonable”, it's duration is not fixed by law and normally includes time needed for a funeral.

In the US, there is no federal law that guarantees bereavement leave. This means that time off after a loss is usually decided by the employer. Many companies offer between three and five days of leave for the death of a close family member, but this is not a legal requirement. Some states provide additional protections in specific situations, but overall, bereavement leave policies vary widely. Employees are encouraged to check their company handbook or speak to HR to understand what support is available.

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.