I’m a funeral director working in Ontario and this has started coming up more and more and it’s pissing me off.
After meeting with a family to arrange a funeral, the family asks me if they can have an extra death certificate for their son/daughter/grandchild, because their boss is asking for one to give them time off to attend the funeral.
A death certificate is a piece of legal paperwork designed to close bank accounts, apply for pensions, etc. it contains private information about the deceased like their SIN, date and place of birth, and place of death. Information your boss has no right seeing.
Instead I always write up and sign a letter on our letterhead stating that yes, this person is deceased. As can be confirmed by the obituary on our website. And in the newspaper.
And also fuck anyone who tries to make their employee bring in a piece of official legal paperwork to go to their fucking Nana’s funeral.
If a boss ever asks you for a death certificate to get bereavement leave, tell them they can have a signed letter from the funeral director at maximum, but maybe also just read the fucking obit for free on the funeral home website.
Rant over!