Employees at Walmart are no different from others. They are dealing with catastrophic life tragedies, such as the losses of beloved family members and friends, that occur from outside work and need to take personal time to deal with such unforeseen cases. Unfortunately, it is among the most challenging experiences a person could go through. And a difficult moment that they need to overcome while grieving is having to go to their workplace and ask for a fair leave.
To understand the obligations of Walmart and its bereavement policy towards its over 1.5 million employees, we have all the information for you in this article. So let’s find out here.
Walmart Bereavement Policy in 2022
Walmart’s bereavement policy enables its employees to be away from work to take personal time to mourn and attend the burial of a loved one if their immediate family member passed away.
The company will not cut your salary during your bereavement leave, but it is subject to specific requirements. For example, to take a break, you must first present to the manager your intention to be absent and state the particular duration you will be absent. So, other remuneration may exist based on the actual situation.
In the event of the death of an immediate family member, Walmart enables workers for up to three days. On top of that, employees who take this leave will often be compensated for the time they are out from work, and in some cases, they may be able to seek lengthier time off as part of a personal leave of absence.
As an employee, you can also take a leave of absence (LOA) from your job for a variety of reasons, including the birth or adoption of a child, medical problems for you or a family member, or others. Unpaid LOA must be sought and granted, and it may be paid or unpaid depending on the real cause for the absence.
Now, let’s go through the fundamentals of LOA:
- Family Medical Leave Act: You can take leave for an eligible purpose under the FMLA. This kind of leave includes critical health issues of yourself or your family member, childbirth, adoption, and urgency of military care or other serious things.
- Personal Leave of Absence: This leave permits employees to take a break from work for various concrete reasons. Other compelling reasons may contain health problems of yourself or your beloved family, adoption, and grief if you need more than three days off.
- Military Leave: Your military duty will be easier to be temporarily off from work. Other than that, if you receive less pay from military service, Walmart would fill the different compensation for you under specific criteria.
According To Walmart, Who Is Considered To Be An Immediate Relative?
In Walmart’s policy, an “immediate relative” refers to someone to whom an employee has a very close familial connection. This condition also covers those directly related to the employee in some other ways, including marital status, biological birth, official adoption, domestic partnership, or people that the employee lives with.
Under this underlying concept, employees may take bereavement leave for the death of the closest members and loved ones. In addition, this special leave may be provided for the death of other people at a fair judgment of the employee’s manager.
How Many Days Does Bereavement Leave of Walmart Employees Qualify For?
Bereavement leave at Walmart can be applicable for up to three days, with the employee’s manager deciding how long the absence should be. When determining how much time off to provide, a manager can take into account a variety of criteria such as:
- The employee’s connection to the lost one
- The transportation time to join the cremation or quality time with the employee’s family
- The day employee has taken the leave in the last 12 months
- The effect that an employee’s absence would have on the company’s operation
Can Walmart Provide Longer Bereavement Leave?
The truth is rather than taking the allowed three days off, an employee who needs additional time can request for a PLA, which applies for a prolonged time frame. However, employees can use up whatever paid time off they have accrued if they would not prefer losing out on wages while on lengthier leave than the three-day limit.
How Does an Employee Get The Absence Confirmation?
To receive permission to take time off due to a sudden event in the family, you must speak with your manager as quickly as possible. The sooner it is, the better. The reason is before they can adequately accept your leave, they have to understand your condition of when and how long you will need.
To avoid any confusion, bereavement leave does not affect any holiday time you have earned, as long as you take it in the average time given. In addition, all Walmart employees are entitled to an additional three days of bereavement leave if their employees require it.
It is possible that you may be required to submit the official documentation of the death. While the specifics may differ based on the business where you work, you can often provide this information via a memorial or death certificate, among other sources.
Why Do Managers Need To Know How Long It Would Take For An Employee To Leave?
Your manager wants to know how long you will be off from work so that they can prepare and schedule your work replacement. While most people will return to work after the customary three-day period, others may mourn following their traditional and cultural customs.
For instance, certain cultures demand a longer mourning time than what Walmart provides typically, which is not always the case. Aside from that, if an associate has experienced the death of an immediate family member, they might not be available to return to work right away after the customary three-day period. Therefore, these events must be anticipated to provide enough coverage during shifts.
Is Walmart Willing To Compensate Employees Who Take Bereavement Leave?
Walmart will compensate all employees who take bereavement leave at their standardized hourly wage rate, not to mention contracted workers. However, this only applies to the entire three days that may be taken as regular bereavement leave under the circumstances.
Is Walmart Required By Law To Provide Bereavement Leave To Its Employees?
Nowadays, there is no government legislation mandating companies to give bereavement leave. As a Walmart, you need to keep in mind that your company’s bereavement policy is basically more liberal than the official law.
What is more, the only state that has enacted such a law is Oregon, which permits employees to have a break for up to 12 weeks annually for bereavement leave. Yet, it is not the same as Walmart’s usual three-day leave; this is often unfunded. Other states are considering similar legislation. As a result, if you really need to take this type of leave, it is advisable to double-check your Walmart paycheck to confirm that you are compensated for the period spent away from work.
Final Words
If an employee’s close family passed away, Walmart’s bereavement policy permits its worker to take up to three days off from work. Additionally, workers will continue to be compensated for their days off. In rare cases, longer lengths of absence may be granted; however, this leave may not always be compensated.