Statement and Purpose of Policy

1. Balham Community Centre acknowledges the personal nature of bereavement and is committed to supporting employees in practical and reasonable ways.

2. Bereavement or compassionate leave is leave that allows an employee time off to deal with their personal distress and related practical arrangements, primarily, but not limited to, when a member of their family passes away.

3. This Policy shows the minimum leave employees are entitled to in different circumstances.

4. We further acknowledge that:

a. not all employees may take the full leave allowance; and

b. some employees may need additional time, depending on their relationship with the person who has died and the circumstances of the death.

5. We will take each situation on a case-by-case basis and will discuss any particular circumstances with employees individually.

6. We may amend this Policy at any time, at our absolute discretion.

Paid Leave

7. In the event of the passing of an immediate relative, employees will be entitled to 5 working days' paid leave. An immediate relative includes a:

a. spouse, civil partner or partner (partners include anyone the employee is cohabiting with but not married to and include same-sex partners);

b. child (including any children the employee has adopted, is the legal guardian or carer of);

c. parent or step-parent;

d. sibling; or

e. person with whom the employee is in a relationship of domestic dependency.

8. Employees will be entitled to 5 working days' paid leave in the event of the passing of a:

a. grandparent;

b. grandchild;

c. aunt or uncle;

d. mother- or father-in-law; or

e. daughter- or son-in-law.

9. In certain circumstances, employees may be granted up to 2 paid working days' leave in the event of the passing of someone outside of their family. These circumstances include, but are not limited to situations where the employee:

a. is responsible for making funeral arrangements; or

b. has to travel abroad to attend the funeral.

10. If employees need to take bereavement leave, they should speak to their line manager or HR department as soon as possible or, at the latest, on the first day of absence.

11. In exceptional circumstances, employees may apply for paid leave after the first day of absence and line managers and the HR department can exercise discretion in such exceptional circumstances.

12. Paid compassionate leave days do not have to be taken consecutively.

Annual Leave

13. In the event of bereavement, employees may take unpaid leave or annual leave at short notice, to supplement their paid bereavement leave.

14. Employees should speak to their line manager or HR department about taking such supplementary annual leave.

15. In the event of a family bereavement while on annual leave, employees can change their annual leave into bereavement leave and take their annual leave at a later date.

Unpaid Leave

16. In the event of bereavement, employees may take up to 14 working days of unpaid leave.

17. Employees should speak to their line manager or HR department before taking unpaid bereavement leave.

Returning to Work After a Bereavement

18. We acknowledge that, in certain circumstances following the passing of a relative, a full return to work may not be immediately possible (e.g. because the employee’s grief may impact their ability to perform their duties or new childcare arrangements need to be made). In such circumstances, employees can, where practicable, have a phased return to work, including:

a. Returning to work on a reduced hours basis.

19. Any arrangements for a phased return to work will need to be agreed in advance with the employee’s line manager or HR department and will be subject to an agreed maximum number of days.

Support for Employees

20. If an employee has any concerns about how their grieving process is impacting on their work performance, they should speak to their line manager or HR department. This will help ensure that any necessary reasonable adjustments can be discussed and put in place so that the employee is supported in their return to work.

Health and Safety

21. Our workplace health and safety assessment considers the impact of bereavement on employees, their duties and responsibilities and the context in which they work (e.g. if they operate heavy machinery or equipment).

22. Employees who are concerned about their ability to safely carry out all their duties after a bereavement should speak to their line manager.

23. We reserve the right to request that an employee meet with their GP before fully returning to work and resuming their previous duties.

Culture and Diversity

24. We acknowledge and recognise that different cultures respond differently to death. Line managers or the HR department will check if an employee observes any particular religious or cultural practices and will make special arrangements if employees require time off work in such cases.

25. Employees should make their line manager or HR department aware of any religious or cultural practices that may require special arrangements as soon as possible.

26. If line managers or the HR department are unsure how to respond to a bereaved employee from a different cultural background, they should ask the employee or someone from their cultural group about what is appropriate.