Bereavement Leave

Bereavement Leave FAQs (updated 1/10/2025)

Who is eligible for Bereavement Leave?

Bereavement Leave is available to employees at UNC Charlotte who experience the loss of an immediate family member or a colleague with whom they worked at UNC Charlotte, so long as the colleague worked for UNC Charlotte within the last year. Eligible employees are those who are permanent, probationary or time-limited, and either full-time or part-time with a schedule that is at least half-time (FTE =>.50, 20 or more hours per week). Temporary employees, interns and contractors are not eligible for Bereavement Leave. Part-time employees are not eligible for Bereavement Leave if they work less than half-time (FTE < .50, less than 20 or more hours per week).

How is immediate family defined?

How is colleague defined?

Colleague is defined as someone with whom you have worked at UNC Charlotte within one year preceding their passing. For purposes of the policy, someone who passed away is “a colleague with whom the employee worked” if that person interacted with the employee – for example, either as a project collaborator or in break-time conversations — at work.

Can I use Bereavement Leave for the death of a colleague who recently left UNC Charlotte?

Yes, so long as they left UNC Charlotte within the last year.

How much Bereavement Leave is awarded?

Full-time employees are eligible for up to 40 hours of paid Bereavement Leave following the loss of an immediate family member, which will be prorated for part-time employees. This leave must be used within 180 days of the date of death (or discovery of the death if circumstances caused the discovery to be significantly later than the date of death).

Full-time employees are eligible for up to eight (8) hours to attend a funeral or other memorial event following the loss of a colleague with whom the employee worked at UNC Charlotte, as long as the colleague worked for UNC Charlotte within one year of their passing.

Does Bereavement Leave have to be used in a certain amount of time? Must it be used for certain events, such a funeral?

Following the loss of an immediate family member, Bereavement Leave may be used as the employee deems appropriate for time to grieve, attend a funeral, visitation or memorial service, deal with estate matters or other related needs. It is not required that the employee use the leave on consecutive days, so long as it is used within 180 days of the date of death of the immediate family member.

Following the loss of a colleague, Bereavement Leave may only be used to attend the funeral, visitation or other memorial event.

How is Bereavement Leave for an immediate family member requested?

Bereavement Leave for an immediate family member should be requested as soon as possible. When applicable, Bereavement Leave should be requested at least two weeks before the leave is needed.

Request Bereavement Leave by completing the request form, found here. Bereavement Leave will be granted to your Kronos record once the request form and required documentation are submitted and approved by the benefits office.

Until Bereavement Leave is approved, Vacation Leave, Annual Leave, Sick Leave or Personal Leave will be entered in Kronos. Upon approval of Bereavement leave, the prior leave will be returned and Bereavement leave applied to the approved days.

Please provide appropriate documentation at the time the request is made or as soon as it is available.

How is Bereavement Leave for a colleague requested?

Bereavement Leave to attend a colleague’s memorial event should be requested as soon as the date and time of the event are publicized. Leave should be approved for the date requested to the greatest extent possible, while maintaining business operations. Employees shall provide documentation of attendance at the memorial event following use of the leave.

Request Bereavement Leave for a colleague by completing the request form, found here. Bereavement Leave will be granted to your Kronos record once the request form and required documentation are submitted and approved by the benefits office.

Until Bereavement Leave is approved, Vacation Leave, Annual Leave, Sick Leave or Personal Leave will be entered in Kronos. Upon approval of Bereavement Leave, the prior leave used will be returned and Bereavement Leave applied to the approved days.

What documentation is required?

Documentation of the death of an immediate family member includes, but is not limited to, an obituary and funeral or memorial event information.

You must provide documentation of attendance of the memorial event when requesting Bereavement Leave for a colleague.

Does this leave expire?

Bereavement Leave following the loss of an immediate family member expires if not used within 180 days of the date of death of the immediate family member. This leave has no cash value and cannot be converted into retirement credit.

Bereavement Leave following the loss of a colleague that is not used on the day of the funeral, or another memorial event is forfeited.

What if I experience the loss of more than one immediate family member or colleague in the same year?

Employees are eligible for Bereavement Leave following the loss of each immediate family member or colleague, even if they occur in the same calendar year.

Are employees who are eligible for Paid Parental Leave following a stillbirth or loss of a child after stillbirth or loss of a child after childbirth also eligible for Bereavement Leave?

Yes, employees are eligible for Bereavement Leave in addition to Paid Parental Leave in this circumstance. Bereavement Leave must be used within 180 days of the date of death.

When can I begin to use this leave?

The Bereavement Leave Policy became effective on November 1, 2024. Bereavement Leave may be retroactively applied if the employee was absent, starting on September 27, 2024, due to loss of an immediate family member, upon the employee’s request. Any leave for which the employee is eligible that is not retroactively applied must be used within 180 days of the date of death.

Bereavement Leave for the loss of a colleague that occurred on or after September 27, 2024, may be retroactively applied to the time the employee was absent to travel to and from and attend the funeral or other memorial event.

Employees may now request Bereavement Leave. Upon review of the leave request, a benefits staff member will provide further guidance. In the interim, employees may use their own eligible leave accruals in Kronos. Upon approval, Bereavement Leave will be added to the employee’s Kronos account, for the employee to request the leave subject to supervisor approval.