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Attending funerals?

deadybai

I am working in the civil service. I know it might differ from dept to dept, but what is the rule for attending funerals?

My wife’s grandad has passed away and I would need a day off to attend the funeral this week.

Do I need to use my annual leave to do so or how does it work?

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gipi

Circular on bereavement leave - I think this is the most up to date

https://www.gov.ie/en/circular/45f35d0c2147431682e4b69b9bc4561b/

Jim_Hodge

It's simple enough and gipi's link covers it. A grandfather in law is not an immediate relative. Take an annual leave or flexi day.

D n G

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122545075#Comment_122545075

Would the highlighted section not cover a grandfather in law?

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122545588#Comment_122545588

You're absolutely correct. My bad.

SuperBowserWorld

Is there not HR in your department/section/whatever you can email to get the definitive answer to this ?

You are going to have to ask for the time off anyway if you want to go.

Iscreamkone

Isnt this what uncertified sick leave is for?

Dial Hard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122545668#Comment_122545668

Not in the PS, clearly. No need, with that kind of bereavement leave.

Flinty997

Check when it kicks in. Afaik it's from the date of the bereavement not the funeral.

witchgirl26

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122545588#Comment_122545588

My reading of that wouldn't include a grandfather in law. It specifically calls out the in law parts (father, mother, daughter son) but not the grandparents. To me that reads if the employee's grandfather, grandmother or grandchild was the person, it would count but not if it's their partners.

thebiglad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122559255#Comment_122559255

Poorly written but it does state similar immediate relative of a co-habiting partner so Grandfather in law is covered.

witchgirl26

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122559352#Comment_122559352

My reading of that would be the in-law part doesn't have to be applicable. So I'm not married but if my cohabiting partner's father died, I'd be allowed the time off even though he is not my father in law.

mrslancaster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122545588#Comment_122545588

Part b). To me it reads like the bereavement leave covers the same relatives of a cohabiting partner. Not specifically mentioned, so does cohabiting partner include a spouse?

patrickc

my wife's grandparents died, and I had to take leave in the LA.

Flinty997

I think there's an appreciation that close in-law relations have a significant impact for some people. Not entirely sure how the policy works for cohabiting partners and family.

Iscreamkone

If your MIL died could you take the leave but not attend the funeral?

Asking for a friend…

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122562080#Comment_122562080

If that's in your head, you don't have friends.

Iscreamkone

Or if the funeral is on a Saturday could you take the Monday off work instead?

mrsgiller

bereavement leave can only be taken at time of funeral so if funeral is a Saturday you can’t take the Monday

Madd002

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058366269/attending-funerals

No, you wouldn't be officially entitled as per the layout in above post as its not your Grandfather. If it was in the private sector,which I'm in & at the discretion of the employer they might grant you a day's compassionate leave which I have processed on occasion in these types of situations.

mrslancaster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122564855#Comment_122564855

Seems a bit unfair that the employee can take bereavement leave for the relatives of a cohabiting partner, but not for the same relatives of a spouse. Unless cohabiting partner includes a spouse (that the employee is currently living with) and people employed in the PS are aware of that detail.

Flinty997

It quite hard to validate an accurate relationship through policy once you remove any legal or religious frameworks. Bit of a minefield I'd imagine.

Madd002

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122566127#Comment_122566127

I never mentioned partner, OP said his wife. Again it's not commonplace in PS

witchgirl26

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122566127#Comment_122566127

That's not correct though. It specifically calls out a father in law which would be the father of your spouse. However if you're not married, previously you would have had no rights to take the day for the father of your cohabiting partner as he is not your father in law. My sister went through this & they granted her the day as she & her partner weren't married when his father passed. It doesn't mean for the grandparents etc from my reading but more that it's recognising that not everyone is married but still in committed relationships.

mrslancaster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122572972#Comment_122572972

What's not correct? The OP was about a grandfather-in-law, not a father-in-law. The extract from the circular lists the immediate relatives of the employee who are covered for bereavement leave, and it includes the employee's grandparents. It covers the same relatives of a cohabiting partner, which would therefore include the grandparents of a cohabitee.

I can't see where the grandparents of a spouse (ie. a grandfather-in-law as per the OP query) is mentioned. Is it included somewhere and I missed it?

witchgirl26

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122574873#Comment_122574873

So the list calls out specifically the "in-law" of a person which relate to the spouses relatives. Grandparents are not listed. My reading of the list & the part b is that similar relatives named as "in laws" also apply to someone who has a cohabiting partner as opposed to a spouse. So either way, grandparent isn't included.

And I wasn't referencing the OP in my response, I was giving an example using father in law.

mrslancaster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122575226#Comment_122575226

Grandparents are included in this extract provided by the OP.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122545588#Comment_122545588

witchgirl26

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122576425#Comment_122576425

The list specificallly calls out both, for example, father and father-in-law but only says "grandfather, grandmother or grandchild of an officer". So the specific in laws that it's allowed for are called out.

blackcard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122577046#Comment_122577046

Surely that is discrimination against married couples. You get leave when you are living with someone but if you walk down the aisle you don't

Larbre34

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122577079#Comment_122577079

Most supervisors and HR units will take a practical approach to it, but generally no, you don't get bereavement leave for a relative of your girlfriend or boyfriend.

Its not discrimination either, its the relative importance of a durable relationship. I hate to break it to you but the Revenue treatment of unmarried couples for taxation and inheritance is a very good reason to get married!

28064212

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122575226#Comment_122575226

You're not reading it correctly. Here it is with the irrrelevant parts stripped out

For the purposes of bereavement leave "immediate relative" means (a) grandfather; (b) a similar immediate relative of a cohabiting partner

There is no clause which restricts (b) to just the parts of (a) which have in-law appended.