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Recently, Colorado joined a handful of states, including California, Illinois, Maryland, Oregon, and Washington, and municipalities that include bereavement as a qualifying reason for employees to use accrued paid sick and safe leave. That became possible after the qualifying reasons were expanded under Colorado’s Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (HFWA). 

Some employers in Colorado are now asking if they need to keep their current bereavement policies. 

Many organizations have traditionally included bereavement leave in their total rewards offerings. In Employers Council’s 2022 Paid Time Off Survey, 87% of participating employers said they grant paid bereavement leave, with an average of four days. It is not a benefit used often but is appreciated by employees as they go through the difficulty of losing a loved one. Employees are not required to use their vacation time or take unpaid leave.  

Employers of choice can support their employees with paid time off and grief support through employee assistance programs and other mental health benefits. Additional paid time off away from the workplace may be especially helpful to employees who may need to travel for services, take time off due to cultural or religious beliefs, or deal with financial or legal matters related to the death. Grief can be distracting for employees trying to work and may create risk for employees in safety-sensitive positions. It can be challenging for employees to heal with the added pressures of work responsibilities.  

Keep in mind that some employees may have limited available sick and safe leave available at the time of the death, having used it for taking care of the loved one they lost, sick children, or their own health issues. With a supplemental bereavement policy, you are acknowledging the employee’s loss and making a statement that you prioritize their well-being.  

You can position this benefit in a way that you want to as an employer. You can define covered family members or loved ones in a way that reflects your organization’s culture and values. Does it include extended family, close friends, or just immediate family? Does it include pregnancy-related losses?  

Grieving shows up differently with each employee and varies in length. We encourage you to re-read our article from 2022 about the reality of grieving.  

Please see our updated Colorado-specific bereavement policies on our website, and you can learn more about the HFWA in our whitepaper. If you have questions about bereavement leave or the new Colorado requirements, please reach out to the Employers Council Member Experience Team.