5.6 Bereavement

Bereavement leave is granted for the sole purpose of making arrangements and attending funeral services. Requests for bereavement leave should be made to immediate supervisors as soon as possible. Unapproved bereavement leave may be unpaid and may subject the employee to disciplinary action. Rochester University reserves the right to request written verification of an employee’s attendance at the funeral service as a condition of the bereavement pay.

Scope

This policy applies to full-time staff of Rochester University. Part-time regular employees, temporary employees and contractual employees are not eligible for bereavement leave.

Eligibility

Bereavement leave will be granted to full-time regular employees with pay upon the death of a family member as follows:

• Up to five working days for the death of a spouse, child, step-child, parent, step-parent, parent-in-law.
• Up to three working days for the death of a brother, step-brother, brother-in-law, sister, step-sister, sister-in-law, grandparent, aunt, uncle, niece or nephew
• One working day for the death of any other family member.

If the funeral is more than 100 miles from the employee’s home, an extra day may be allowed for travel. The employee must attend the funeral to be entitled to bereavement leave.

Should bereavement leave exceed the allowable amount of days, a maximum of three (3) unused sick days may be requested in conjunction with bereavement leave for deaths that occur in the immediate family of the employee or the employee’s spouse, (mother, father, mother-in-law, father-in-law, husband, wife, son, daughter, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, brother sister, grandfather, grandmother, grandchildren.