What if Employee Does Not Return After Bereavement Leave

Losing a loved one is, unfortunately, something we will all experience at some stage in our lives. If your employee has faced a bereavement, it is crucial to be sympathetic and to give them time to grieve. If your employee loses a child under the age of 18, they are entitled to two weeks bereavement leave, which is known as ‘parental bereavement leave.’ Otherwise, there is no specific law regarding bereavement leave in the U. for instance, bereavement leave if a parent dies, but most employers will allow their employees to take as long as they need. In most cases, this would be from a couple of days up to a week, but it may be longer depending on the employee's needs. However, if your employee has taken a significant amount of time off for bereavement leave and has not yet returned, these are ways to manage the situation.

Contact Employee

If your employee has not returned to work following bereavement leave, you should find out how they are and when they expect to return to work. If they are unsure of when they may return, you could offer methods of support, such as phased return, flexible working such as remote working or temporarily reducing their hours. Although it is important to bring your employees back to work, it is also crucial to do this in an understanding, empathetic way, as you never know what they are going through. You can focus on bereavement return to work and find ways to adapt to the needs of your employee.

Unpaid Leave

It is reasonable for an employer to offer paid bereavement leave for up to one week. However, employees can't expect to take a limitless amount of time off for bereavement leave. If your employee is unable to return to work, you could suggest that they take unpaid leave or use their holidays. 

Review Contract

If you have contacted your employee and they will not communicate or return to work in any capacity, you should review their contract and your policies. If they are breaching the employee contract and the policy you have in place relating to bereavement leave, you may decide to take further action regarding their employment.

Formal Disciplinary

When an employee has lost a loved one, it can be difficult to handle the situation if they have not returned to work following bereavement leave. On the one hand, you want to be empathetic and reasonable, but on the other, you are still running a business, and that comes with its own challenges. If your employee is breaching their contract and you have exhausted all efforts to arrange with them, you may decide to go down the formal disciplinary route.

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