Costco Bereavement Policy (all You Need To Know)

It is common among many American organizations for some employees to take time off during the last week of work to pay their respects and attend the funeral for a family member.

The bereaved employee, just a few weeks after the death, is given leave from work – which can last several weeks or even up to a full year as needed. Employees will receive pay when they are no longer working – and if they want to keep their job during their bereavement, they must go through a special training process.

Costco Bereavement Policy In 2022

Costco bereavement leave policy in 2021 provides 3 paid days off following the death of an immediate family member such as a husband, wife, sibling, child, parent or grandparent. Full-time and part-time Costco team members are eligible for bereavement leave after 90 days of employment.

If you want to learn more about extending your bereavement leave, what you can provide as proof of bereavement, and much more, and I’ll go over how to make your vacation even more important, keep on reading!

Does Costco Pay Employees During Bereavement Leave?

Costco has been known to allow the employee of the month to use paid days off and has not been known to charge the store credit cards for any Costco purchases.

If you missed a day of work, the amount of bereavement pay you will receive depends on your scheduled hours for the missed days and your pay rate.

If your employer offers bereavement leave, you could receive the pay within your usual income package on your bereavement notice date.

Which Costco Employees Are Eligible For Bereavement Leave?

Costco’s policy on bereavement leave is that all store staff and managers are eligible for bereavement leave.

For example, my coworker can only get paid time off if I am there to supervise the store in the morning every day after work. That is not enough time.

In order to avoid the stress of the season, or in anticipation of a loss, some teams may consider not providing paid bereavement leave for their seasonal employees.

Which Family Members Does Costco Allow Bereavement Leave For?

Costco offers a bereavement period for the death of immediate family members. This includes spouses, parents, siblings, children, grandparents, grandchildren, in-laws, stepparents, stepchildren, and adoptive parents and legal guardians.

Costco has done extensive research and found that most families will not be able to complete the mission with a minimum of four people.

If someone outside of your relationship passes away, you can speak to your general manager or HR department for more information regarding your circumstance.

Do You Have To Show Proof Of Bereavement At Costco?

The employee is often asked to identify their parent or spouse who died with a certificate indicating the death.

You can provide a copy of a death certificate, but you must state “copy provided for verification purposes only” on the copy of the certificate you send to the court. The certificate must be in a form that can be used to prove the person’s death. If the original is not available, you may use a copy that has been notarized, authenticated by a notary, or certified by an official in the jurisdiction where the death occurred.

Instead of a standard notification form, managers may want to discuss bereavement leave with one of the employees, such as an HR person or an administrative assistant.

How Many Days Of Bereavement Leave Are You Entitled To At Costco?

Costco’s bereavement policy provides 3 paid days off to both full-time and part-time employees who have worked a minimum of one year.

This can vary on how the employment contract is written. The employer can also decide to offer you a severance package or lay you off. Your employer will explain this in detail to you, and offer you any severance if offered.

Is Costco Legally Required To Offer Bereavement Leave?

Costco is not the only company in the United States that does not offer a bereavement leave policy. There are many companies in the United States that do not offer bereavement leave policies due to the lack of federal laws that legally require employers to provide bereavement leave to employees.

Research from the Human Resource Management Society found that 88% of companies offered paid bereavement leave to employees, despite the fact that 88% of companies are struggling with the high cost of health-care premiums and employee turnover.

Costco is required by law to allow employees with a loss of a family member, a friend or a close personal friend to take time off for bereavement.

Can You Take Extended Time Off For Bereavement At Costco?

When an immediate family member dies, you need to spend 3 days to grieve and organize the relevant procedures such as the funeral and legal documentation.

In addition to what @cnicutar has said.

If an employee needs to take unpaid leave due to death of a family member or a close personal friend, Costco will grant up to 12 weeks of paid leave.
(B) In a case where an employee needs to take unpaid leave in addition to a 3-day bereavement leave period, the unpaid leave amount equals the number of days in the 3-day period, not to exceed 12 weeks.

According to glassdoor many employees liaised with their superiors to agree to five days’ bereavement leave.

If you have to take unpaid time off, you may be forced to work during that time and receive no pay. Keep in mind that Costco cannot protect your employment because of your absence.

Does Costco Provide Time Off For Funerals?

Costco allowed employees to take a paid bereavement day and apply that to the date of the funeral.

*When a relative of yours has passed away, or a close relative of yours has passed away, you can book a day of leave for the funeral.

You can also see our posts on how to get a job at Costco, what Costco offers to its employees, the Costco discount, how to get your job at Costco, and Costco warehouse.

Conclusion

Costco has a paid bereavement leave policy that can be taken by full-time and part-time employees who have worked for the company for more than nine months. It covers immediate family members, such as parents, children, spouses, siblings, and grandparents.

People who work for Costco can show proof of death to Costco, and it might authorize payment without requiring proof of death. Many employees will not be paid for being a caregiver when they are actually being a caregiver.