A R T I C L E
X I 1
(UTU)
Bereavement Leave
Bereavement Leave
"Bereavement l e a v e , n o t i n e x c e s s o f t h r e e c a l e n d a r
d a y s , f o l l o w i n g t h e d a t e o f d e a t h w i 1 1 be a l l o w e d i n c a s e
o f d e a t h o f an e m p l o y e e ' s b r o t h e r , s i s t e r , p a r e n t , c h i l d ,
spouse o r s p o u s e ' s p a r e n t . I n such cases a minimum b a s i c
d a y ' s pay a t t h e r a t e o f t h e l a s t s e r v i c e r e n d e r e d w i l l
be a l l o w e d f o r t h e number o f w o r k i n g days l o s t d u r i n g
bereavement l e a v e . Employees i n v o l v e d w i 1 1 make p r o v i sion f o r t a k i n g leave w i t h t h e i r supervising o f f i c i a l s i n
t h e usual manner."
4-1:
How a r e t h e t h r e e c a l e n d a r d a y s t o b e d e t e r m i n e d ?
A-1:
An e m p l o y e e w i l l have t h e f o l l o w i n g o p t i o n s i n d e c i d i n g when t o t a k e
bereavement l e a ve :
(a)
t h r e e c o n s e c u t i v e c a l e n d a r d a y s , commencing w i t h t h e d a y o f
d e a t h , when t h e d e a t h o c c u r s p r i o r t o t h e t i m e an e m p l o y e e i s
scheduled t o r e p o r t f o r d u t y ;
(b)
t h r e e c o n s e c u t i v e c a l e n d a r days, ending t h e day o f t h e f u n e r a l
service; or
(c)
t h r e e consecutive c a l e n d a r d a y s , ending t h e day f o l l o w i n g t h e
funeral service.
0-2:
Does t h e t h r e e ( 3 ) c a l e n d a r d a y s a l l o w a n c e p e r t a i n t o e a c h s e p a r a t e
i n s t a n c e , o r do t h e t h r e e ( 3 ) c a l e n d a r d a y s r e f e r t o a t o t a l o f a l l
instances?
A-2:
T h r e e d a y s f o r e a c h s e p a r a t e d e a t h ; however, t h e r e i s n o p y r a m i d i n g
w h e r e a second d e a t h o c c u r s w i t h i n t h e t h r e e - d a y p e r i o d c o v e r e d by t h e
f i r s t death.
Example:
Employee h a s a w o r k week o f Monday t o F r i d a y - o f f - d a y s o f
S a t u r d a y and Sunday. H i s m o t h e r d i e s on Monday a n d h i s
f a t h e r d i e s on T u e s d a y . A t a maximum, t h e e m p l o y e e w o u l d be
e l i g i b l e f o r b e r e a v e m e n t l e a v e on T u e s d a y , Wednesday,
T h u r s d a y and F r i d a y .
PAGE 2
A n employie working from an e x t r a board i s g r a n t e d bereavement leave
0-3:
on Wednescay, Thursday and F r i d a y . Had he not t a k e n bereavement leave
he would have been a v a i l a b l e on t h e e x t r a board, b u t would n o t have
performed s e r v i c e on one of t h e days on which l e a v e was t a k e n . I s he
e l i g i b l e f o r two d a y s o r t h r e e days of bereavement pay?
A-3:
A maximum of two d a y s .
Q-4:
Will a day on which a b a s i c d a y ' s pay i s allowed a c c o u n t bereavement
l e a v e serve a s a qua1 i f y i n g day f o r h o l i d a y pay p u r p o s e s .
A-4:
No; however, t h e p a r t i e s a r e i n accord t h a t bereavement l e a v e nona v a i l a b i 1 i t y should be c o n s i d e r e d t h e same a s v a c a t i o n non- a v a i l a b i l i t y and t h a t t h e f i r s t work day preceding o r f o l l o w i n g t h e employee's
bereavement l e a v e , a s t h e c a s e may b e , should be c o n s i d e r e d a s t h e
q u a l i f y i n g day f o r hol i d a y p u r p o s e s .
Q-5:
Would an employee be e n t i t l e d t o bereavement l e a v e i n c o n n e c t i o n with
t h e d e a t h of a ha1 f - b r o t h e r o r ha1 f - s i s t e r , s t e p b r o t h e r or s t e p s i s t e r ,
stepparents o r stepchildren?
A-5:
Yes a t t o h a l f - b r o t h e r o r h a l f - s i s t e r , no a s t o s t e p b r o t h e r or steps i s t e r , s t e p p a r e n t s o r s t e p c h i l d r e n . However, t h e r u l e i s appl i cable
t o a family r e l a t i o n s h i p covered by t h e r u l e t h r o u g h t h e l e g a l adopt i o n process.
6
:
Would bereavement 1 e a v e be appl i cab1 e d u r i ng an ernpl o y e e ' s vacation
period?
A-6:
No.
Q-7:
An employee q u a l i f i e s f o r h o l i d a y pay on a h o l i d a y which o c c u r s on a
day t h e employee a l s o q u a l i f i e s f o r bereavement l e a v e pay. Under
t h e s e c i r c u m s t a n c e s , i s t h e employee e n t i t l e d t o be p a i d b o t h t h e holiday and bereavement l e a v e allowance?
A-7:
No.
The employee would be e n t i t l e d t o o n l y one b a s i c d a y ' s pay.
PAGE 3
4-8: A n employee i n pool f r e i g h t s e r v i c e i s g r a n t e d bereavement l e a v e on
Wednesday, T h u r s d a y , a n d F r i d a y . He was paid under t h e bereavement
l e a v e r u l e f o r Wednesday and Thursday; however, h i s c l a i m f o r F r i d a y ,
a day on which t h e crew of which he-was a member was a t t h e away-fromhome t e r m i n a l and r e c e i v e d an a u t h o r j z e d r e t u r n deadhead t r i p f o r
which t h e y were a l l o w e d 1 4 1 m i l e s , was d e n i e d . I s h e e n t i t l e d t o pay
under t h e bereavement l e a v e r u l e f o r F r i d a y ?
A-8:
Yes, inasmuch a s t h e deadhead t r i p was a u t h o r i z e d and r e p r e s e n t s time
l o s t on a s e p a r a t e q u a l i f y i n g c a l e n d a r d a y .