Staff HR Policy D-724.01
Institutional Effectiveness Criterion: Culture

Bereavement Leave Procedure

The purpose of this procedure is to provide guidelines for NMC supervisors. Faculty and staff on full- or part-time annual appointments may request paid bereavement leave for time off which is required due to the death of a family member according to the following guidelines.

Leave for bereavement time for the death of an immediate family member may be requested for up to and including five (5) days. The immediate family is defined as spouse, parents, stepparents, siblings, step-siblings, grandparents, children, step-children and grandchildren. Special consideration will be given to a request for bereavement leave for a person whose association with the employee is similar to any of the above relationships.

Leave for bereavement time for the death of an extended family member may be requested for up to and including three (3) days, given travel and special considerations. The extended family is defined as aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews. Additional extended family may be grandaunts, granduncles, grandnieces, grand nephews and great grandparents. Special consideration will be given to a request for bereavement leave for a person whose association with the employee is similar to any of the above relationships.

Leave may be taken after the approval of the supervisor. In turn, the supervisor should notify the Human Resources of the reason and length of the employee's absence through the absence report or timesheet. Exceptions to family status and extensions of time may be requested and granted if approved by the executive staff member in consultation with Human Resources.

Upon returning to work, the employee must record his/her absence as a Bereavement Leave on his/her absence report or timesheet. Proof of death and relationship to the deceased may be required.

If any provision(s) of this policy or set of bylaws conflicts with laws applicable to Northwestern Michigan College, including the Community College Act of 1966, the Freedom of Information Act, or the Open Meetings Act, as each may be amended from time to time, such laws shall control and supersede such provision(s).