{"id":9688,"date":"2024-07-05T13:25:36","date_gmt":"2024-07-05T13:25:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.citationcanada.com\/?post_type=glossary&p=9688"},"modified":"2026-08-26T10:52:23","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T10:52:23","slug":"bereavement-leave","status":"publish","type":"glossary","link":"https:\/\/www.citationcanada.com\/fr\/glossary\/legislative-compliance\/bereavement-leave\/","title":{"rendered":"Bereavement Leave"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n \n \n \n \n HR Glossary\n <\/span>\n\n <\/a>\n \/<\/span>\n \n \n \n \n Legislative Compliance\n <\/span>\n\n <\/a>\n \/<\/span>\n \n \n \n \n Bereavement Leave\n <\/span>\n\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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\n Bereavement Leave\n <\/h1>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n
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What is bereavement leave?<\/h2>\n

Bereavement leave provides employees with\u00a0time away from work<\/a>\u00a0so they have time to cope with a death without the additional stressors of their jobs. In most jurisdictions across Canada, employment legislation provides bereavement leave for employees. The length of this leave and whether it is paid or unpaid varies by jurisdiction. Most jurisdictions provide for somewhere between three and five days off, but some leaves may require more. Employment standards also set the terms for how employees can use the leave. Most legislation provides the time to deal with grief, attend a funeral or memorial service, and handle estate matters. The bereavement leave also defines to whom it applies. In general, most bereavement leaves are only applicable for the loss of immediate family members:\u00a0a parent or guardian, child, spouse, sibling, or grandparent, usually including those related by birth, by marriage, or by law, such as foster parents or children.<\/p>\n

Who can take bereavement leave?<\/h2>\n

Eligibility for bereavement leave depends on the applicable employment standards rules and the relationship between the employee and the person who has died.<\/p>\n

Bereavement leave commonly applies when an employee experiences the death of an immediate family member, such as a:<\/p>\n