A bereavement policy sets out what an organisation will do if an employee is bereaved. Bereavement policies are helpful for several reasons:
Bereavement policies should be tailored to the needs of your organisation.
However, there are some features which are common to most bereavement policies, such as indicative timescales for time off and the procedures for reporting bereavement.
It is important that your policy is clear, readily available and easy to access. By definition, it is only accessed at times of personal trauma. Clear, plain and flexible policies are a great help in those circumstances.
ACAS has produced a helpful template to guide development of organisational bereavement policies: Sample Bereavement Policy (ACAS)
The Irish Hospice Foundation has explored issues to be considered when developing a bereavement policy:
The following resources explore approaches to time off for bereavement:
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