5.13 - Bereavement Leave Policy

Purpose

To provide employees with paid time off due to the death of an immediate or extended family member.

Definitions

Immediate family member - an employee's spouse, domestic partner, parents, children, grandparents, grandchildren, brothers, sisters, and anyone of like relationship by marriage or a person whom the employee serves as a durable power of attorney.

Extended family member - an employee’s aunt or uncle.

Policy Statement

In the event of the death of an immediate or extended family member, Kanas City Kansas Community College (KCKCC) will provide paid time off for eligible employees.

Employees can use Bereavement Leave for making arrangements, settling family affairs, bereavement and/or attending the funeral or memorial services for the immediate or extended family member. Leave hours must be taken within six (6) months of the loss.

Leave Notification

Employees must provide notice of absence due to the loss of an immediate or extended family member to their immediate supervisor at the earliest possible time and the estimated length of absence from work.

Leave Approval

Bereavement Leave must be approved by the employee’s immediate supervisor.

Verification

The immediate supervisor reserves the right to require documentation of the death (e.g., death certificate, obituary, documentation from the funeral home, etc.).

Length of Leave

For immediate family members, full-time employees may take up to 40 hours of paid bereavement leave per loss. Part-time employees who work the equivalent of 20 hours or more per week may take up to 20 hours of bereavement leave per loss.

For extended family members, full-time and part-time employees may take up to 20 hours of paid bereavement leave per loss.

The immediate supervisor may grant a specific amount of additional leave time to an employee who cannot, because of special circumstances, return to work at the completion of the allowable bereavement leave hours. If an employee chooses to take additional leave, accrued vacation leave must be used first. In 1 extenuating circumstances, the immediate supervisor may approve the use of accrued sick leave if an employee has no accrued vacation or personal leave.