Why employees should never use vacation days for bereavement leave

While paid time off is an employee benefit, it is not a mere perk.

As HR pros know well, a body of established research shows that vacation has an important purpose in terms of employee well-being and work performance.

If, as the saying goes, an army runs on its stomach, then organizations that are consistently running on fumes, energy-wise, aren't going to get far.

On the other hand, regular breaks make for better employees. They are mentally and physically refreshed, and often more able to conjure up big-picture innovations. (One famous example: Lin-Manuel Miranda, who came up with Hamilton while on vacation. “The moment my brain got a moment’s rest, Hamilton walked into it.”)

A smart PTO policy gives employees what they need to continue to evolve, grow, and compete over the long haul—and to boost the performance of their organization.

And a growing number of employers are realizing that the smartest PTO policies address specific life milestones, instead of providing a bank of PTO days for everything from vacation to bereavement leave, caregiving responsibilities, parental leave, and more.

Vacation days serve a purpose. Bereavement leave serves a purpose. Parental leave serves a purpose. Shortchanging one for the other is shortsighted and risky, and can lead to absenteeism, morale problems, burnout, and turnover. For these reasons, PTO is evolving to make benefits more specific.

Bereavement leave is not vacation

On vacation, employees may be on a beach, they may be jet-setting to an exotic location, or they may be enjoying time with beloved family members. Whatever the location, the point of vacation is to unplug, get out of the regular routine, and rest.

Bereavement leave, on the other hand, is a whirlwind: dealing with the shock and pain of a loved one’s passing, planning a funeral, and facing a long list of bureaucratic, financial, and legal responsibilities that take more than a year to fully resolve, on average.

For employees dealing with the passing of a loved one, there is very little rest. In fact, 76% suffer from sleep problems, Empathy’s Cost of Dying survey showed, with half of them reporting that it lasted for a few months or more.

The danger of borrowing days

PTO is not just a perk; it serves a purpose. Thus, in evaluating PTO policies, it is crucial to look at the results they produce.

When employees use vacation days for bereavement leave, for example, their vacation benefit is diminished. Conversely, if there is a large bank of PTO days that can be used for any purpose, an employee who powers through without taking vacation leave so they don’t have to cancel a planned trip, the significant impact of grief and loss will go unaddressed.

In addition, without dedicated maternity and paternity leave, parents may use up holidays and vacations to recover from birth and adjust to the new addition to their family. This creates a vacation deficit for new parents—increasing their stress at a time when they need support. 

In each of these cases, the employees may be out of the office for the same amount of days. But if they didn’t get sufficient rest or they weren’t able to deal with the life-altering experience of grief, the PTO days did not serve their purpose. (And by the way, when an employee is struggling with loss, their team is, too.)

Creating a PTO policy with specific goals

Recognizing that benefits policies hold great power as a tool for productivity, morale, and recruitment, many of the most competitive employers are looking at the value of each type of PTO.  

Think about that well-fed army. Let’s say one group eats as much candy as they want and nothing else, and another has three square meals with protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Which one will go farther?

Specific types of PTO are like nutrients in a well-balanced meal, designed to provide the fuel needed to boost employee well-being.

Whether it's time off to grieve a loved one, to grow their family, or to provide ongoing care for family members in need, a policy with specific PTO ensures employers will be there for their employees during these major milestones.

And when employees get what they need to thrive, they come together to make your organization more resilient, more competitive, and eady to meet the challenges of the future.