{"id":2724,"date":"2026-01-18T20:18:34","date_gmt":"2026-01-19T02:18:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zoomshift.com\/blog\/?p=2724"},"modified":"2026-03-27T09:59:34","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T14:59:34","slug":"bereavement-leave","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zoomshift.com\/blog\/bereavement-leave\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ultimate Guide to Bereavement Leave for SMBs"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the United States, small businesses alone employ nearly sixty million people \u2014 roughly the population of Italy.<\/p>\n

Needless to say, small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) remain the backbone of the economy, representing nearly a quarter of the country\u2019s workforce.<\/p>\n

At the same time, the CDC reports that an average of nearly 8,000 people die every day<\/a> in the US.<\/p>\n

The loss of a loved one brings profound emotional impact and practical challenges. Beyond grief, employees may need to manage responsibilities like notifying family, arranging funerals, and handling legal matters \u2014 tasks that can quickly become overwhelming.<\/p>\n

Naturally, your employees will need time to navigate these moments \u2014 and to begin the healing process. If you don\u2019t yet have a bereavement leave policy in place for your SMB, read on \u2014 we\u2019ll help you build one.<\/p>\n

<\/span>What Is Bereavement Leave?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Bereavement leave is when an employee takes time off after the death of a loved one. Typically, it\u2019s a close relative, but that\u2019s not always the case.<\/p>\n

Many companies offer paid bereavement leave to their employees for an average of three full days so they can plan and attend the funeral and have some time for reflection. Many companies will also offer additional leave, but it\u2019s unpaid.<\/p>\n

The death of a loved one impacts everyone differently. It\u2019s far from a linear path, and often includes a wide range of emotions, including anxiety, loneliness, shock, anger, guilt, and numbness. Grief affects you on a social and professional level, which is why taking time away from the pressure of work is an important part of the healing process.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Is Bereavement Leave Required by Federal or State Law?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Unfortunately, it\u2019s not required by any federal law, making it up to employers to choose to provide it or not. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)<\/a> does not <\/em>require payment for time not worked, including attending a funeral. This type of benefit is generally a matter of agreement between an employer and an employee (or the employee’s representative).<\/p>\n

However, some states, like Oregon, do offer bereavement leave if employees meet a specific set of criteria. However, it is not required that it\u2019s paid bereavement leave. Just guaranteed time off without penalty.<\/p>\n

California also legally requires paid bereavement leave for some of its public-sector employees and state employees.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/span>Creating Your Own Bereavement Policy<\/span><\/h2>\n

Naturally, you\u2019ll want to adhere to any relevant laws in your state, but that doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t go above and beyond. Creating a bereavement policy is far from rocket science, but there are some intricacies you\u2019ll want to get right to avoid any unnecessary confusion.<\/p>\n

Step 1: Decide if It\u2019s Paid or Unpaid<\/h3>\n

If your small business has the means to offer paid bereavement leave, it\u2019s definitely worth considering. The last thing someone wants to worry about when they\u2019re grieving the loss of a loved one and making funeral arrangements is whether they can afford to take time off.<\/p>\n

If you need to be a bit more selective with your benefits, then it\u2019s a good idea to define exactly which employees receive bereavement leave. Most companies provide it to full-time employees, but it\u2019s rare that interns, contractors, or part-time employees are eligible.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also good to define when bereavement leave eligibility starts. If it kicks in ninety days or one year after starting, that should be explicitly stated in the employee handbook<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Step 2: Get Specific to Avoid Any Gray Areas<\/h3>\n

Next up, be sure to define who\u2019s covered under bereavement leave. Oftentimes, it\u2019s only immediate family only such as children, parents, brothers, sisters, and spouse. Some companies extend bereavement leave further to include cousins, grandparents, aunts, and uncles.<\/p>\n

Beyond defining people, you\u2019ll want to decide exactly how long bereavement leave lasts. Sure, three days is the standard, but can they extend it with an unpaid portion? Or could they use accrued paid time off (PTO) days as means of extension?<\/p>\n

Step 3: Outline the Notification Process<\/h3>\n

Like any form of time off, it\u2019s good to outline exactly how your staff requests bereavement time. Sure, death in the family can happen unexpectedly, so there should be some leniency, but it\u2019s better to require some form of notification or communication, so the company has time to cover shifts.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also good to decide upfront if you\u2019ll require proof of loss, such as a death certificate or pamphlet from the funeral service. Many companies choose not to require such a distraction but often include it in the policy anyway, just in case an employee uses bereavement leave excessively.<\/p>\n

Finally, share the policy in your employee handbook, store it in your company shared drive, and review it each year to ensure it\u2019s up to date.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Bereavement & Time-off Tracking Software<\/span><\/h2>\n

The right software will make it easy to track all time off, including bereavement leave. ZoomShift<\/a> has built-in time tracking capabilities that ensure all time off<\/a>, including bereavement leave, is properly requested, and that necessary shifts are covered.<\/p>\n

It\u2019ll provide a nifty calendar view, so everyone knows who\u2019s out of the office and for how long. It also makes it easy to make sure your employees get paid for bereavement leave<\/a> if that\u2019s part of your policy.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/span>Wrapping Up<\/span><\/h2>\n

The grieving process is different for everyone, so there\u2019s no way of telling whether bereavement time will be enough to feel fully ready to get back to work.<\/p>\n

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) found that 78% of companies<\/a> also offer employee assistance programs that provide workers with resources that help them get through difficult times.<\/p>\n

Some common resources include confidential assessments, referrals, follow-up services, and short-term counseling. People are your greatest asset, so sometimes a little compassion and empathy can boost morale, boost job satisfaction<\/a>, and increase employee retention<\/a>, which is all part of the recipe for success.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s your company\u2019s policy on bereavement leave? Share it in the comments below:<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the United States, small businesses alone employ nearly sixty million people \u2014 roughly the population of Italy. Needless to say, small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) remain the backbone of the economy, representing nearly a quarter of the country\u2019s workforce. At the same time, the CDC reports that an average of nearly 8,000 people die […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":2725,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nUnderstanding Bereavement Leave<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Explore the concept of bereavement leave, which allows employees to take time off work following the death of a loved one.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zoomshift.com\/blog\/bereavement-leave\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Understanding Bereavement Leave\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Explore the concept of bereavement leave, which allows employees to take time off work following the death of a loved one.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.zoomshift.com\/blog\/bereavement-leave\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Zoomshift\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-01-19T02:18:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-27T14:59:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.zoomshift.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/The-Ultimate-Guide-to-Bereavement-Leave-for-SMBs.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1138\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"493\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"JD Spinoza\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"JD Spinoza\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zoomshift.com\/blog\/bereavement-leave\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.zoomshift.com\/blog\/bereavement-leave\/\",\"name\":\"Understanding Bereavement Leave\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zoomshift.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-19T02:18:34+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-27T14:59:34+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zoomshift.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/e23c4b55eead5e752c5f361c9d670e63\"},\"description\":\"Explore the concept of bereavement leave, which allows employees to take time off work following the death of a loved one.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zoomshift.com\/blog\/bereavement-leave\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.zoomshift.com\/blog\/bereavement-leave\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zoomshift.com\/blog\/bereavement-leave\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.zoomshift.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The Ultimate Guide to Bereavement Leave for SMBs\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zoomshift.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.zoomshift.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Zoomshift\",\"description\":\"SMB Management Blog\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.zoomshift.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zoomshift.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/e23c4b55eead5e752c5f361c9d670e63\",\"name\":\"JD Spinoza\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zoomshift.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5a95e64e4714f0d96cfab797f042000d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5a95e64e4714f0d96cfab797f042000d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"JD Spinoza\"},\"description\":\"JD enjoys teaching people how to use ZoomShift to save time spent on scheduling. 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