My brother took his life a year ago in March. I found out on a Wednesday night and wrote to my principal (I was a high school teacher in the US) that I’d need to take the rest of the week off. By Monday, I was expected to be back at school, teaching 160 9th graders, or else I’d have to use up the rest of my three leftover allotted sick days, which of course I used. I was not ready to go back a week later, but I had no other choice.
On the day of his funeral and burial (two days out of state), I took two more days and reported them as personal days (of which I also had three leftover). A few weeks later, I received a paycheck with a $274 deduction because of an unauthorized absence. I alerted my HR person, who said she would resolve it. Two months later, after I’d quit, I found out upon receiving my history of employment papers, it still had not been resolved. I emailed her again and CC’d my principal. She again said they would resolve it, and yet it was still never resolved. I eventually dropped it because I couldn’t deal with chasing down DOE, so I guess that’s that.
My point in writing this is less about the $274 dollars and more so about the fact that most industries in the USA allot workers two days of bereavement and that is just fucking insane. Workers should be entitled at least two weeks of paid bereavement time. A month would be great.
Wondering what is standard protocol for bereavement in other counties? Thanks all.