Bereavement Leave
Select an employee type:
Eligibility: All Exempt and Non Exempt regular employees (regardless of their bargaining status) are granted paid Bereavement Leave
Immediate family is defined as the spouse, mother, mother's current spouse, father, father's current spouse, mother-in-law, father-in-law, grandmother, grandfather, or a grandchild (or great-grandmother, great-grandfather or great-grandchild) of the employee or the spouse, son, stepson, son-in-law, daughter, stepdaughter, daughter-in-law, foster child still living with the employee, brother or sister of the employee, brother-in-law or sister-in-law, or any relative permanently living in the immediate household of the employee at the time of death.
- 3 work days of Bereavement Leave, or
- 5 work days of Bereavement Leave if overnight travel is required, on account of the death of any member of the employee's immediate family.
Additional family of the employee or the employee's spouse covered is an aunt, uncle, niece, or nephew
- 1 work day of Bereavement Leave on account of the death of the employee's or his/her spouse's
MOU/policy reference:
Sick & Safe Leave Eligibility for Faculty: Leave for bereavement purposes is taken in the form of sick leave for faculty.
Close relative is defined as a faculty member's: spouse, child, stepchild, parent (or someone who took the place of a parent), mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother, sister, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, or other relative who permanently resided in the faculty member’s household.
- 3 work days covered by sick leave, or
- 5 work days covered by sick leave if the death of a close relative requires a faculty member to travel and stay away from home overnight
Additional family of the faculty member or their spouse covered is an aunt, uncle, niece, or nephew
- 1 work day of sick leave
Policy reference: USM Policy on Sick and Safe Leave (SSL) for Faculty Members
Special NOTE: Any leave needed beyond the bereavement leave and/or sick leave entitlement can be covered (with departmental approval) through use of accrued annual or personal leave. In some instances the grief may rise to the level of the employee's own sickness/illness, of which we would recommend working with the Faculty & Staff Assistance Program and UHR Leave Management to discuss the specifics related to the loss.
Additionally, if an employee is experiencing a loss related to a family member not identified above, and/or would like to discuss the specific details of their bereavement-related leave, please feel free to contact UHR Leave Management at 301-405-0001 or via email at umdleave@umd.edu.