POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Bereavement or Funeral Policy
School of Health and Human Performance
October 28, 2010
It is recognized that students may need to take a bereavement or funeral leave during the course of their studies at Dalhousie University. To provide a better understanding of the School of Health and Human Performance’s policy regarding such a leave, the following document has been developed. As reference, the Canada Labour Code was used (Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, 2009; Saint-Cyr, 2007).
Who is entitled to bereavement leave?
When an immediate family member dies, the student is entitled to up to seven consecutive calendar days away from the School. Immediate family is defined as the student’s spouse or common-law partner; the student’s father and mother and the spouse or common-law partner of the father or mother; the student’s child(ren) and the child(ren) of the student’s spouse or common-law partner; the student’s grandchild(ren); the student’s brothers and sisters; the grandfather and grandmother of the student; the father and mother of the spouse or common-law partner of the student and the spouse or common-law partner of the father or mother; and any relative of the student who resides permanently with him/her or with whom the student permanently resides.
“Common-law partner” means a person who has been cohabiting with an individual in a conjugal relationship for at least one year, or who had been so cohabiting with the individual for at least one year immediately before the individual’s death.
Non-family Member Funeral Leave:
Students may take one to three days off to attend the funeral of a close, non-family member.
Verification:
Students should contact the Student Services Advisor as soon as possible to allow him/her to contact necessary course instructors. Students will be required to provide evidence of the death of the family member to the Student Services Administrator. If the leave is to extend beyond 7 consecutive calendar days, the student should once again contact the SSA to determine whether arrangements can be made to miss additional time. The student may also need to consult with individual course instructors on whether or not it is feasible to miss additional time and still be successful in the course(s). In cases where a student will be/has been absent for longer than a week, it may be advisable for the student to consider withdrawing from the term's classes. In this case, the student should discuss their options with the SSA.
Responsibilities for Missed Course Work:
Extensions and other accommodations are made at the discretion of the individual instructor. Students will be required to make arrangements with each course instructor to complete missed course work, including tests or exams.
References:
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada. (2009). Labour: Bereavement leave: Part III of the Canada Labour Code (Labour Standards). Retrieved on October 20, 2010 at http://www.rhdcc-hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/labour/publications/employment_standards/bereavement.shtml.
Saint-Cyr, Y. (2007). Bereavement leave. HR info desk: Canadian payroll and employment law at work. First Reference Inc. Retrieved on October 20, 2010 at http://www.hrinfodesk.com/preview.asp? article=23673.
Accepted by Undergraduate Advisory Committee (UAC) on October 28, 2010
Submitted to Committee of the Whole, School of Health and Human Performance on November 3, 2010