Taking time off work for funeral

We have discretionary compassionate leave which is up to a week for immediate family, a day to attend the funeral of extended family and we would be expected to take holiday for anyone else (although that often depends on the manager, sometimes they will grant paid compassionate depending on the circumstances).

Sorry to hear about your great uncle x

I think most companies have a policy that if it's an immediate family member (parent, sibling, partner) that it's paid compassionate leave. Anyone outside of that scope it would be annual leave.

That's certainly the case in all the companies I've worked for.

Thanks everyone that’s useful. In my old job there was never any real discussion about it, my manager was fantastic just let me have the day but never recorded it on my holiday form – think I was lucky there!

So just wanted to check what the standard was so I know where I stand before I ask for the day off!!

I remember a few years ago I asked one of the porters if he was ok as he wasn't himself. He told me that his brother had been killed the previous day in a car crash, and that he only got 2 days off compassionate leave, and he was saving these for the next week for the funeral in Scotland...

That's awful!

When my dad died I had to go back to work for two days between his death and the funeral as I only got 5 days compassionate leave. Made worse by the fact that I had to travel 200 miles each way between my house and my parent's house.

The rules there were 5 days for a parent, partner or child and two days for a grandparent. Everyone else, annual leave.

We have five days for parent, sibling, spouse...one day for grandparent...annual leave for anything else.

Hope you're ok ?

Smaller companys are more likely to let you have time off without taking anual leave, im my experiences anyway

we dont have to take annual leave for any funeral

Might try and wangle it then.. but I won't push my luck. Got to wait for the date to be confirmed before I can do anything anyway.

Nursey - that story about the porter is just awful. I've been lucky in that I've never had anyone so close die in such a sudden way, everyone thats ever died has been old and it's been expected. Still horrible but much easier to deal with.

Yeah travelling doesn't help.. this funeral will be in blackpool. Just checked and it's 235 each way ☹️

I know, it really shocked me about the policy. I agree about small companies being more easy going though

It would be taken from your holiday allowance although if the day was overbooked you would still get it.

If not it would be unpaid. The last funeral I went too was unpaid and I expected that as it was for a friend.

Nutsters I would just say its your Uncle, I don't mean you should lie but I genuinely view a great uncle/aunt as if it was an uncle/aunt, when my great aunt died my manager just put down it was my aunt. (Still only got me half a day in the company I was with at the time but it would have been nothing if she'd put down great aunt) The funeral was 300 miles away so just as well I had 2 days leave left!!

Sorry for your loss.

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I work for a small employer. My boss would let me have the day of as compassionate and paid. There aren't any strict rules and as long as you don't take the p1ss they are really good about this stuff. One of the many reasons I can't imagine leaving employment there. If it was a closer member of my family I imagine I would be offered support counselling paid through works well as compassionate leave. Is your boss reasonable?

WFlowS. I had to go to two last year, OH's grandad, and a friend from footy. Neither of which I took annual leave for.

I work for Local Government and there policy is just 1 day for breavment of a Grandparent, which I have also got to deal with as my Grandma passed away on Friday.

I'm not sure what my company's policy is OH has a colleague whose son died recently, and she had to use annual leave because they wouldn't even give her a day of compassionate leave. Shes worked there 13 years. I think it's disgraceful.