Facebook recently introduced a policy giving employees up to twenty days’ paid compassionate leave in the event of a death in their immediate family. This is just one element of the policy, others include:
- ten days’ leave for the death of an extended family member;
- five weeks’ leave to care for a sick relative; and
- family sick time which includes three days’ leave to care for a family member who has a short-term illness.
This is a significant amount of leave to offer employees in addition to their annual holiday entitlement. So why has Facebook taken this approach? It believes employees need time to care for sick relatives and mourn the death of a loved one. The company also believes that, by looking after employees, they’re more likely to embrace the company’s values, which ultimately improves the bottom line through greater loyalty and discretionary effort, and better performance.
How much is the right amount of compassionate leave to offer?
This is hard to answer as people react differently to deaths in the family. Some may want to return to work quickly as a useful distraction, while others prefer to stay away, so flexibility is important. You’ll also want to consider whether your company can afford to pay for any compassionate leave, and if so, how much.
A BrightMine survey on compassionate leave found that, on average, companies provide five days’ compassionate leave per year and 60% said that this leave was paid. A further 37.7% said that the leave was a combination of paid and unpaid compassionate leave.
Many of our clients have a policy that deals with this type of leave. Here are some things to consider if your company doesn’t have a policy or if you’re considering reviewing it:
- Be clear about when the leave should apply – for example, which relatives’ deaths are covered by the policy.
- Number of days – although this can be very difficult to determine because everyone has different needs, stipulate a minimum number of days and then allow discretion on a case-by-case basis.
- Consistent application is important to prevent inadvertently discriminating against certain groups or treating some employees unfairly. Ensure the policy applies to all members of staff and that those applying the policy (typically line managers) are fully trained and informed about it. For example, the policy should apply to same sex partners just the same as for opposite sex partners.
- Paid or unpaid – be clear about the situations in which the leave will be paid and unpaid.
- Statutory requirements – employees have a statutory right to a reasonable amount of time off for dependents, but not the right to be paid during that period. The length of time is not set, but it must be reasonable in the circumstances. In most cases, this is likely to be only a few days.
Research from BrightMine supports Facebook’s view that a company’s support and compassion during bereavement and family emergencies increases employees’ engagement and their motivation in the long term. Developing and implementing a clear but flexible policy will ensure its consistent application across the company, which will benefit all stakeholders.
If this is an area where we can support your business, then don’t hesitate to contact us on 0330 223 5253 or e-mail us on office@fitzgeraldhr.co.uk
