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Bereavement Leave for Step Parent in Law
Benefits & Compensation
Bereavement Leave for Step Parent in Law
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Our Bereavement policy is states leave for PArent in law. an employee is asking for leave for Step Father in law. My HR Manager would like to deny this. I think if the step father inlaw was a primary
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Forums » Topic Forums » Benefits & Compensation » Bereavement Leave for Step Parent in Law
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Bereavement Leave for Step Parent in Law
posted at 3/5/2012 11:19 AM EST
on Workforce Management
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Posts: 13
First: 2/21/2012 Last: 7/9/2012 |
Our Bereavement policy is states leave for PArent in law. an employee is asking for leave for Step Father in law. My HR Manager would like to deny this. I think if the step father inlaw was a primary care taker for the wife while she was young then he should be permitted. How do others handle this? Thanks for any and all repsonses. |
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Re: Bereavement Leave for Step Parent in Law
posted at 3/5/2012 12:04 PM EST
on Workforce Management
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Posts: 148
First: 9/29/2011 Last: 12/10/2012 |
I think I'd side with the HR manager on this one. What relationships constitute eligibility for bereavement leave can be a very dicey area and making an exception in a situation like this can either set a new precedent or contradict past decisions. The policy to allow bereavement leave for parents in law is quite generous in and of itself. I would recommend that the employee be allowed to use regular vacation time and not be granted bereavement leave. |
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Re: Bereavement Leave for Step Parent in Law
posted at 3/5/2012 12:29 PM EST
on Workforce Management
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Posts: 127
First: 9/21/2011 Last: 11/12/2012 |
Agree with Nork. The boundary has to be some where. No matter what you pick, there will be employees who have a "special" argument. I would allow the time off, but not under the bereavement program. |
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Re: Bereavement Leave for Step Parent in Law
posted at 3/6/2012 10:04 AM EST
on Workforce Management
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Posts: 32
First: 10/25/2011 Last: 8/27/2012 |
I am going to disagree with my two esteemed colleagues. The changing cultural face of family in the United States alone lends a bit more understanding to this situation than simply saying "no" because a step parent - in - law somehow conflicts with previous notions of what is or is not family. I would look more closely at your bereavement policy first. Does it permit bereavement leave for step parents? Have you permitted leave for step parents? Your best answer, in my humble opinion, lies there. With that said, I understand the need for boundaries and limits. Sometimes these issues, as they relate to religious holidays, familial relationships, etc, can be easily resolved through a simple solution. Consider pure PTO as an example. Define no holidays, no conditions for using the paid time off benefit. Simply use staffing needs, seniority or any other method that best fits your organization to determine who can go when. Is this the best solution? Maybe, maybe not; but what it does do is eliminate time sapping emotional conversations such as the one you are having now with your HR Manager. Just a suggestion. |
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Re: Bereavement Leave for Step Parent in Law
posted at 3/6/2012 11:22 AM EST
on Workforce Management
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Posts: 127
First: 9/21/2011 Last: 11/12/2012 |
HRPro, my thought was that not only was it a Step Parent, but a second layer of In-Law so in all essence two layers removed from the employee in question. So under our policy, it would not be covered due to that fact. While I agree culturally that families are changing, I stand by my perspective that the employee should either have PTO that could cover the timeoff or be given unpaid PTO. Our bereavement PTO is pretty much only for "immediate family". But I would fully support pure PTO to stop having to make specific decisions on when employees are paid for time off and when they are not! |
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Re: Bereavement Leave for Step Parent in Law
posted at 3/6/2012 2:22 PM EST
on Workforce Management
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Posts: 148
First: 9/29/2011 Last: 12/10/2012 |
I agree with rrupert. Her differentiation between "step parent" and "step parent in law" was the deciding factor for me as well. A tough call, but if I were the HR manager on this one I'd be asking the question of where to draw the line and how much further does this need to go. Step brother/sister in law? |
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Re: Bereavement Leave for Step Parent in Law
posted at 3/7/2012 12:35 AM EST
on Workforce Management
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Posts: 32
First: 10/25/2011 Last: 8/27/2012 |
It comes down to policy. Not HR's interpretation but the overall leadership of the organization. if historically step parents and in laws of been included in bereavement their is no logiocal reason to say no now without making a policy change. It doesn't get any simpler than that. HR is not the decision maker here. |
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Re: Bereavement Leave for Step Parent in Law
posted at 3/7/2012 8:38 AM EST
on Workforce Management
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Posts: 24
First: 11/3/2011 Last: 12/6/2012 |
I'll wade into this one with "ol Pro". I've always considered a step-parent (or in-law) as simply a replacement for the original, and hence eligibility rules pertaining to one would apply to the other. |
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Re: Bereavement Leave for Step Parent in Law
posted at 3/7/2012 11:28 AM EST
on Workforce Management
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Posts: 148
First: 9/29/2011 Last: 12/10/2012 |
Although there's a lot of merit to HRPro's comments, I'm not sure I agree with the position. Let's say that the mother in law has had three husbands. The first husband was the parent of the spouse. Clearly that should qualify for bereavement leave. The second husband spent a number of years as the actual live-in parent for the spouse, but after the spouse left the home the second husband and the mother divorced. Technically, this husband is no longer the step-parent-in-law. The third husband is, for want of a better term, the current parent-in-law. Would both parents in law qualify for bereavement leave? The current one? The one who actually helped raise the spouse (eg, the second one)? The first stepfather isn't technically a step father in law any longer, but there was probably was an emotional attachment here for the spouse. The second step father in law is that in name only, but the mother of the spouse probably could use emotional support from family. I'm in agreement that either a clear-cut policy be established and adhered to or, as I believe has been noted above, no bereavement leave is specified and it only comes out of PTO. Given all the potential family permutations and complex relationships, if a policy is established I think it needs to be a rather simple one with clear definitions of what relatives qualify. An "Immediate family members" limitation seems to be rather common. But I think I like the PTO option best. |
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