Bereavement Leave

Bereavement leave is time off granted after the death of a family member or loved one, meant to cover grieving, funeral arrangements, and travel. It's typically short, a few days to two weeks, and separate from standard PTO or sick leave.

There is no federal law requiring it. Whether it's offered, how long it lasts, and whether it's paid depends entirely on the employer's policy and the state where the employee works.

Which States Require Bereavement Leave?

As of 2026, California, Illinois, Maryland, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington are the main states with dedicated bereavement leave laws. California requires employers with five or more employees to provide up to five days of unpaid leave, usable non-consecutively within 90 days, for employees with at least 30 days of tenure.

Washington's Paid Family and Medical Leave program expanded bereavement coverage to seven paid days as of July 2026, up from three. All other states leave the decision to employer policy, though many offer it voluntarily.

How Much Bereavement Leave Do Employers Typically Offer?

According to SHRM, only about 60% of private-sector workers get any paid bereavement leave, and it's usually just a few days. Some employers have moved well past that baseline: Meta and Mastercard both expanded their bereavement policies to as much as 20 days for the loss of a spouse or child.

Why Does Bereavement Leave Matter?

Grief has a measurable effect on focus and productivity that doesn't end when the funeral does. Harvard Business Review recommends pairing paid leave with manager training, since grief isn't linear and can resurface long after the standard leave window closes.

A Forbes piece on workplace grief support notes that policies limited to three days often don't match the practical reality of arrangements, travel, and the return-to-work adjustment that follows a loss.

How Should Employers Design a Bereavement Policy?

• Set clear day allotments by relationship, and document them in the employee handbook rather than leaving them to manager discretion.
• Confirm your policy meets the minimum in every state where you employ people, since CA, IL, MD, OR, VT, and WA all set floors.
• Avoid requiring a death certificate as a default; many employers now trust employees to report their need for leave.
• Track requests through HR compliance-aware leave software so state minimums apply automatically without manual lookup.

HR Cloud's leave management tools apply the right bereavement rules by state and keep every request documented.

Easily manage and track all PTO, vacation, and leave request from one system.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is bereavement leave?

A: Time off granted after the death of a family member or loved one, used for grieving, funeral arrangements, and travel.

Q: Is bereavement leave required by federal law?

A: No. There is no federal bereavement leave mandate. Coverage depends on state law and employer policy.

Q: Which states require bereavement leave?

A: California, Illinois, Maryland, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington are the main states with dedicated bereavement leave laws as of 2026.

Q: How many days of bereavement leave do most employers offer?

A: A common baseline is 3-5 paid days for immediate family and 1-3 days for extended family, though this varies by employer.

Q: Is bereavement leave paid?

A: It depends on the employer and state. Some state laws mandate unpaid leave; many employers choose to pay it voluntarily.

Q: Can bereavement leave be combined with other leave types?

A: Yes. Employees can often supplement bereavement leave with PTO or, in some cases, FMLA if grief affects a serious health condition.