Bereavement leave letter
Bereavement notes should take a minute to write and require nothing of the person writing them. The wording below asks for time and says almost nothing else.
Send this after a death in your family. Some workplaces treat a close relative differently from an extended one, so name the relationship and let them apply their own rules.
Subject: Bereavement leave Hello [manager's name], My [relationship] died on [date]. I need time away from work. I will be out from [first day]. At the moment I expect to return on [return day], though that may move. [practical line] I would rather not discuss it at work for now. [your name]
What to put in each blank
- [relationship]
- State it plainly — "father", "grandmother", "brother". The word decides how it is recorded.
- [return day]
- An estimate is fine. Funeral arrangements move, and everyone understands that.
- [practical line]
- Only if you have the energy: what has been handed over, or a request that someone else handles it.
Before you send it
- Nobody is owed the details. Naming the relationship and the dates is enough.
- If travel is involved, say so early. Long journeys change the dates more than the funeral itself does.
- Ask a colleague to tell the wider team so you are not answering the same message forty times.
Leave reasons stay visible only to the people who approve them
Questions people ask about this letter
How long is bereavement leave?
Employers set this themselves, and it varies widely by workplace and by how close the relative was. Ask your HR contact rather than assuming a number.
Do I need to give proof?
Some workplaces ask for a death certificate or a funeral notice, usually later and quietly. It is a reasonable question to ask before you travel.
What if I need longer than I first said?
Send one more line asking for more time. Grief does not run to a schedule, and extending is normal.