University Policies

File code: ADM.BEREAV.POL
Approval Date: 06/12/99
Updated: 03/24/23
Approved By: Board of Trustees

Policy on Bereavement Leave

Board of Trustees Regulations (Sec. II. B. 12. e. and II. C. 7. f.) stipulate the following benefits available to employees not covered by a collective bargaining agreement upon the death of certain family members.

  1. Employees will be granted, upon request, leave of up to three paid scheduled work days to attend the funeral or memorial service and/or for travel and bereavement time, upon the death of a member of the employee's immediate family. Immediate family is defined as: father, mother, sister, brother, spouse, domestic partner, children, grandchildren, and grandparents. Biological, adopted, foster, legal wards, a child of a person standing in loco parentis, or step family members are considered immediate family under this policy. In-laws are defined as: mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, son-in-law, and daughter-in-law.
    Upon the death of a member of the employee’s immediate family, the employee will be granted seven additional work days of unpaid leave to attend the funeral or alternative to a funeral for the immediate family member, make arrangements necessitated by the death of the immediate family member, or grieve the death of the immediate family member.
  2. Employees will be granted, upon request, leave of up to one paid day to attend the funeral or memorial service of a relative other than the above who is not a member of the employee's household. Other relative is defined as: aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, or first cousin of the employee. Such relatives are regarded as members of the immediate family only if in residence in the employee's household at the time of death.
  3. The amount of leave provided is not intended to be guaranteed and is available only when there is a need. Bereavement leave shall be taken in not less than one-half day increments and may not be accumulated.
  4. Bereavement leave benefits are not granted in the event of the death of a member of the employee's spouse's or domestic partner's family unless specifically stated. For example, grandparent refers to the grandparent of the employee. For purposes of application of bereavement leave, relationships existing due to marriage or domestic partnership will terminate upon the divorce or termination of domestic partnership of the relative through whom the marriage or domestic partnership relationship exists. Current marital status will be defined in accord with Illinois State Law.
  5. Employees will be granted, upon request, up to ten days of unpaid bereavement leave due to the following events: miscarriage or stillbirth, unsuccessful round of intrauterine insemination or an assisted reproductive technology procedure, failed adoption match or an adoption that is not finalized because it is contested by another party, failed surrogacy agreement, or diagnosis that negatively impacts pregnancy or fertility.
  6. In the event of the death of more than one covered family member in a 12-month period, an employee is entitled to up to a total of six weeks of unpaid bereavement leave during the 12-month period.
  7. Bereavement leave must be completed within 60 days after the employee receives notice of the death of the covered family member or the date on which a miscarriage, stillbirth, failed adoption or surrogacy agreement, or other covered fertility-related reasons occurs.
  8. The employee's supervisor may grant additional leave to an employee who cannot, because of special circumstances, return to work at the completion of the allowable bereavement leave days. An employee may choose to take such leave without pay or may use accrued vacation or sick leave time.

Employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement with different bereavement leave benefits will receive those benefits according to their agreement.