It’s Time to Change Bereavement Leave
At Holdmine, one area we’d love organisations to consider is offering a better level of bereavement leave.
Bereavement leave policies can vary between companies and industries, and while there’s been a little change and often ‘Manager’s discretion’ is allowed for people suffering the loss of a loved one, the default is often a few days, and there’s an expectation that is enough. That is NOT enough.
If you’ve ever lost a loved one, you will know that it takes weeks to wrap your head around the loss, and no amount of time ever makes it okay. You are forever altered and in the days, weeks and months immediately following the loss, you’re muddling through a minefield of emotions, a long ‘to-do’ list and trying to remember to eat. There’s no way you can lose your sister on Monday, and be back at work pumping out the client projects by Friday.
That is an unreasonable expectation that organisations have set.
In Aotearoa, the first national entitlement to bereavement leave was introduced in 1992 under the Holidays Act. What happened before then? It was a negotiation each time? At the manager’s discretion? We should all have peace of mind that when grief strikes, we are supported to keep our jobs and be in our grief.
Here, Act has been amended to support the loss of extended family and non-bio family, and in 2018, the Holidays Act was amended again to provide for bereavement leave for parents and guardians of a child who has died at any age, including stillbirths and miscarriages. This amendment also increased the entitlement to up to three days of paid bereavement leave for other types of bereavements, including the death of a grandparent, grandchild, or sibling.
This is not enough.
“Grief experts recommend 20 days of bereavement leave for close family members.” - SHRM.
Atleast.
So the experts say 20 days, yet legislation has three? We aren’t in the industrial era, we’re in a global services economy with a challenge to get amazing talent, so those that are truly committed to creating great cultures and being people-centred, we encourage you to examine your bereavement leave policies and make changes.
Here is a general overview of what is typically offered in terms of bereavement leave in Australia, New Zealand, and the UK:
Australia:
In Australia, the Fair Work Act 2009 sets out the minimum entitlements for employees, including two days of paid compassionate leave for each occasion when a close family member or household member dies or has a life-threatening illness or injury. This entitlement applies to all employees covered by the national workplace relations system.
New Zealand:
In New Zealand, employees are entitled to a minimum of three days of bereavement leave for the death of a spouse, partner, child, parent, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, or other close family members. Employees may also be entitled to additional bereavement leave under their employment agreement or union agreement.
United Kingdom:
In the UK, there is no statutory entitlement to bereavement leave. However, many companies offer compassionate leave or bereavement leave as part of their employment policies. The amount of leave offered can vary between companies, but it is usually a few days of paid leave for the death of a close family member. Some companies may also offer additional paid or unpaid leave for compassionate reasons, such as time off to care for a sick family member.
He aha te mea nui o te ao
What is the most important thing in the world?
He tāngata, he tāngata, He tāngata
It is the people, it is the people, it is the people
Māori proverb
Let’s also consider important cultural protocols. As we travel, move away from home and become more global in the way we live and work, we often have oceans to cross to be there when these times come. Being home, and being there to farewell our loved ones is harder now, it takes more time. We want to honour those we love in ways they wish. That might not all happen in three days.
Here in Aotearoa, three days is not enough. We are a bi-cultural nation, and our population has five major ethnic groups. We all know that a tangi typically takes three days, and we should have policies that truly support employees without them having to ask.
If we are truly people-centred organisations, we can do better.
As this was being written, a timely and relevant Linkedin post was at the top of the feed. This is what matters.
