I’ve been working for the government for over 8 years now. Per the policy, Bereavement leave shall be granted upon the death of a member of their immediate family. Immediate family is defined as “an employee’s spouse, significant other, parents, children, grandparents, siblings, grandchildren, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, mother-in-law, father-in-law, step-parents, step-children, step-siblings, or a league guardian or other parent who stands in the place of a parent.”
My step-grandfather who brought my grandma and her two teenage sons to the United States during the Vietnam War is not considered an immediate family. I’m 30 years old and he has been married to my grandma since 1972 (50 years this year). He just passed away last week. He has been there since the day I was born and I have never met my “real” grandfather. I never thought of him as a step-grandfather.
My dad stated on the obituary that he is the step-son of my grandfather and the bereavement leave was declined. I went to HR and they emailed back with the following response: unfortunately step-grandparent is not considered an immediate family member, unless they raised the individual.
Is anyone else’s policy ridiculous as this?