POLICY #9.4
SUBJECT: Bereavement Leave
II. REFERENCES
- Southern Utah University Policy 9.2 Annual Leave
- Utah Code § 53B-1-401 et seq. Utah Board of Higher Education
- Utah Code § 78B-6-101 et seq. Utah Adoption Act
- Utah Code § 78B-15-801 et seq. Utah Uniform Parentage Act -- Gestational Agreement
- Utah System of Higher Education Policy R821 Employee Benefits
III. DEFINITIONS
- Adoptive Parent: An individual who has legally adopted an adoptee in accordance with Utah Code 78B-6-101 et seq.
- Gestational Agreement: Written agreement wherein a prospective gestational mother, her spouse, if married, and/or donor(s) agree to relinquish all rights and duties as parents of the conceived child and the intended parents become the parents of the child. See Utah Code 78B-15-801 et seq.
- Immediate Family: Relatives of the employee, spouse, or cohabitating partner as defined by Utah law, including in-laws, step-relatives, or equivalent relationship as follows:
- Spouse or cohabitating partner as defined by Utah law;
- Parents;
- Siblings;
- Children;
- Any level of grandparent; or
- Any level of grandchildren.
- Miscarriage or Stillbirth: The spontaneous or accidental loss of a fetus, regardless of gestational age or the duration of the pregnancy.
IV. POLICY
- Employees of the University who are on "salary contract" for half-time or more and for nine (9) months or more may be granted bereavement leave with pay for a period of up to three (3) workdays in the event of a death in the Immediate Family. Bereavement leave may not be charged against an employee's accrued sick or annual leave.
- Supervisors may grant a maximum of three (3) workdays of bereavement leave per occurrence with pay following:
- the end of the employee's pregnancy by way of Miscarriage or Stillbirth; or
- the end of another individual's pregnancy by way of Miscarriage or Stillbirth, if:
- The employee is the individual's spouse or cohabitating partner as defined by Utah law; or
- The employee is the individual's former spouse or partner and the employee would have been a biological parent of a child born as a result of the pregnancy; or
- The employee provides documentation to show that the individual intended for the employee to be an Adoptive Parent of a child born as a result of the pregnancy; or
- Under a valid Gestational Agreement, the employee would have been a parent of a child born as a result of the pregnancy.
- For non-faculty employees, additional days will be charged to annual leave or leave without pay.
- Exceptions to this Policy may be considered by Human Resources in collaboration with the Vice President for Finance and Administration.
VI. QUESTIONS/RESPONSIBLE OFFICE
The responsible office for this Policy is the Vice President for Finance. For questions about this Policy, contact the Office of Human Resources.