Applies to:	Original Policy Date:	Date of Last Review:	Approved by:
Full-time Employees	December 1, 2014	July 2022	Dr. Marco Carvalho Executive Vice President & Provost

Policy Owner: Office of Human Resources

Policy Purpose

The university provides full-time faculty and staff paid time off to cope with the loss of an immediate family member.

Policy Scope

Full time employees

Policy Statement

Florida Tech provides paid bereavement leave to full-time employees who experience the death of an immediate family member. The maximum allowed length of paid bereavement leave is three workdays in-state and five workdays out-of-state per occurrence. Employees may request to take additional leave using their vacation time, personal holiday (if available), and/or a leave without pay. Additional leave requests above the stated maximum allowed length of paid bereavement leave may be granted at the discretion of the supervisor.

Procedures/Guidelines

It is the responsibility of the employee to request bereavement leave for approval. The request is submitted in the HRIS system.

Absence due to the death of an individual not defined as an immediate family member in this policy can be accommodated using vacation leave, personal holiday, and/or leave without pay at the discretion of the supervisor. A request for an exception to the definition of “immediate family member” may be submitted in writing to the Vice President of Human Resources.

If an employee is on pre-approved vacation leave and finds it necessary to attend a funeral of an immediate family member as defined by this policy, a maximum of three days of leave may be reported as bereavement leave rather than vacation leave.

Definitions

Immediate family member: For purposes of this policy, spouse or domestic partner, parents (including stepparents and in-laws), children (including stepchildren), siblings, grandchildren, and grandparents of the employee, including a spouse or domestic partner’s immediate family member(s).

HRIS: Human Resources Information System

Responsibilities

The employee is responsible for submitting the request for bereavement leave for approval through the HRIS.

The employee’s supervisor is responsible for approving bereavement leave in accordance with this policy.

Any request for an exception to the policy definition of immediate family member is subject to approval by the Vice President of Human Resources.

Enforcement

Employees who fail to comply with this policy may not be able to receive bereavement leave with pay. 

Supervisors who fail to comply with this policy may be subject to disciplinary action.