Leave Usage for Funerals or Bereavement

Layout for printing
Policy Number:
UW-5057
Old Policy Number:
16.09
Responsible Office:
Office of Human Resources

University Policy

Rationale/​Purpose:

This policy establishes when an eligible employee may use leave credits to take an absence from work because of a funeral or bereavement time. Please note that no additional leave time is granted for funeral and bereavement beyond previously accrued time off. 

Definitions:
Banked Leave
Leave formerly identified as ALRA banks for Faculty, Academic Staff, and Limited appointees or Sabbatical banks for University Staff.
Funeral/Bereavement Leave
Leave upon the death of an immediate or other family member or non-immediate family member for the following purposes:
    • Attending the funeral, services, ceremonies, and/or interment.
    • Making necessary arrangements.
    • Travel related to the death.
    • Bereavement time.
Immediate Family Member
    • Employee's legal spouse
    • Employee’s domestic partner as explained by the UW Madison Domestic Partnership Information Page
    • Children of employee or employee’s spouse or domestic partner (biological, adopted, step or foster child, or legal ward)
    • Grandchildren of employee or employee’s spouse or domestic partner
    • Parents of employee or employee’s spouse or domestic partner (biological, adopted, step or foster parent, or legal guardian of employee)
    • Grandparents of employee or employee’s spouse or domestic partner
    • Siblings of employee or employee's spouse or domestic partner
    • Spouses or domestic partners of siblings of employee or employee's spouse or domestic partner
    • Aunts and uncles of employee or employee’s spouse or domestic partner
    • Sons-in-law or daughters-in-law of employee or employee’s spouse or domestic partner
    • Other relatives of employee or employee’s spouse or domestic partner who reside in the household of the employee
Leave Credits
Vacation, vacation carryover, personal holiday, accrued legal holiday/floating legal holiday and leave in Banked Leave. Leave credits include sick leave or compensatory time-off credits for the purposes of this policy. Refer to each applicable UW-Madison Human Resources policy for further information on types of leave credits.
Non-immediate Family Member
Any person who is not the employee's immediate family member.
Scope:

This policy applies to Faculty, Academic Staff, Limited appointees, and University Staff in leave eligible positions.

For non-leave eligible employees or employees who do not have available leave please make a request for leave without pay with your supervisor or department.

Policy:
  1. An employee may use their paid leave credits to cover an absence connected to a funeral or for bereavement in the manner listed below:
    1. Following the death of an immediate family member:
      1. Employees may request to use vacation, banked leave, or personal holiday.
      2. Employees may use up to three days of accrued sick leave.
      3. Employees may use up to an additional four days of accrued sick leave for travel related to a funeral or other circumstances (for a total of seven days of sick leave).
      4. Employees must use vacation days, banked leave, or personal holidays if they have used the seven days of sick leave and are requesting additional time off.
    2. Following the death of a non-immediate family member:
      1. Employees may request to use vacation, banked leave, or personal holiday.
  2. In all circumstances, employees should follow their work unit’s established procedures for requesting leave and indicate that the purpose for the leave is for funeral and bereavement time and indicate if that is for an immediate or non-immediate family member.
Related UW-Madison Policies:

Policy Administration

Approval Authority:
Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration
Policy Manager:
Associate Vice Chancellor/Chief Human Resources Officer
Contact:
Employment Relations Director -- Megan Dzyuba, wr@ohr.wisc.edu, (608) 890-3663
Date Issued:
06-26-2015
Revised Dates:

04-05-2019, 12-21-2022

Retrieved:
01-21-2025 07:17:30