Boss Posts Bizarre Note Explaining Funeral Leave Policy

Author image for Emmy Pratt
Emmy Pratt • Senior Editor
May 5, 2023 4:00 PM EDT

Calling off work to go to a fake funeral is so common it's almost considered cliche. People online talk about pretending their grandma dies at every new job, which is something I have not been desperate enough to do yet. Even though it's relatively uncommon in the working world (college professors see this excuse more than anyone on earth), funerals have built up a reputation as an easy excuse to get off work without using PTO. That makes the whole "calling off work/postponing an exam for a funeral" thing tricky to handle. Many workplaces require proof of death, which is highly cavalier when somebody is telling the truth, which is more often than not. It's a touchy subject, and there's no singular correct policy for how to deal with it. However, there is a wrong way, and one of those wrong ways is a word cloud of all the family members' funerals you're allowed to leave work for. 

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  • 01
    Font - r/antiwork 18h • imgur Forget about anybody else and get back to work.
    via u/tigersmhs07
  • 02
    Brown - FUNERAL leave will only be granted for: Husband/wife Father/Step-father Daughter/Step-daughter Mother/Step-mother Father-in-law Grand child of employee Sister/Step-sister Mother-in-law Brother/Step-brother Grandparent of employee Son/Step-son
    via u/tigersmhs07
  • 03
    Font - fuckfuckmyfuckingass. 18h The formatting of this is buckwild. Reply 2.7k
    via u/f*ckf*ckmyf*cking*ss
  • 04
    Font - Code Warrior. 15h I have a personal policy to completely disregard any kind of rule, regulation, or policy that is written like a 10 year old mashing keys produced it. 4121 121
    via u/Code_Warrior
  • 05
    Rectangle - Unlucky_Hearing2623 • 18h You can tell how unprofessional the workplace is because they say "funeral leave" instead of "bereavement". ... Reply 1.4k 1.4k
    via u/Unlucky_Hearing2623
  • 06
    Font - Some Twiggs. 17h To be fair, if it's a place that employs a bunch of teenagers, a surprising amount of people don't know what bereavement is. 310
    via u/Some_Twiggs
  • 07
    Font - Gideon_Wolfe . 16h If a place isn't safe enough for a person to ask what bereavement is, it's not a place a person should work. 4131
    via u/Gideon_Wolfe
  • 08
    Font - TheRealDreak • 15h I took it to mean "You only get time off to attend the funeral, the funeral ended an hour ago, so stop crying about your dead wife and get back to work, Bob." ... 36
    via u/TheRealDreak
  • 09
    Font - Beautiful-Year-6310 17h . They may mean paid funeral leave is only for family deaths, which is pretty standard at most places I've worked. You can usually still take PTO to go to funerals of anyone who is not family. Reply 332
    via u/Beautiful-Year-6310
  • 10
    Font - MurphyLlama. 12h I had a job that did not offer bereavement pay. Like at all. Someone close to me died and I called to tell them I was going to take off for the funeral. They said "Well usually we only allow off for immediate family." I said, you're not paying me, I'll take off for any funeral I want. If you're offering bereavement pay, you can choose to pay me or not for a funeral, but to flat out say you can't go because we're not letting you is where I draw a line. I missed an aunt's f
    via u/MurphyLlama
  • 11
    Font - O E-Plurbis-DumbDumb. 13h Agreed. What the note says is pretty standard, really. The way they did the note is awful. 44
    via u/E-Plurbis-DumbDumb
  • 12
    Rectangle - CurlyCADLady • 18h Typically funeral leave only applies to "immediate family". ... Reply 525
    via u/CurlyCADLady
  • 13
    Human body - ohohohmygoodness • 17h Yeah I'm more angry about the formatting. This person is clearly a sociopath. 4371 371
    via u/ohohohmygoodness
  • 14
    Font - Knowlesdinho 18h ● There has to be some limits, but I'd expect a degree of reasonableness and compassion from an employer. I mean if my best mate died who is closer to me than my siblings, then I'd be demanding to go. To put the message out like this is a bit too direct for my liking. Something like this would be better,
    via u/Knowlesdinho
  • 15
    Font - "Funeral leave will definitely be granted for immediate family. For extended family and close friends, arrangements to attend will be considered on a case by case basis. We understand that the loss of anyone is a deeply emotional time for everyone, and that people grieve in different ways, so please be assured that we are here for you and will endeavour to support you through these difficult times. Yours sincerely, your employer." It's not perfect, but at least it has a degree of humanity
    via u/Knowlesdinho

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Tags

management boss toxic-manager toxic-workplace manager funerals bosses communication toxic-management note funeral toxic-boss notes toxic-work-environment
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