Walmart Bereavement Policy? (How Many Days, Proof, + More!)

It is one of the most difficult things to experience, losing someone you love so dearly. You might need to take some time to grieve and come to terms. Having to go to work every day is not something you want during mourning.

Walmart, with over 1.5 million employees is a large corporation. They have bereavement policies just in case. What rights do Walmart employees have in the event they require bereavement leave, and what are their options? How do you find out Walmart’s policy on bereavement?

What is Walmart’s Bereavement Policy and how does it work?

Walmart provides three days of paid grief leave for employees who lose a family member. Unpaid extra time can be requested by employees as personal time off (PTO).

Continue reading to learn more about Walmart’s policies regarding bereavement leave.

Walmart offers its associates a standard bereavement policy for immediate family members. They can be absent from work for the funeral or grieving period, and they are allowed to leave the workplace.

This time does not count against you but it is subject to certain conditions. You must first confirm with your supervisor that the absence will not exceed a specified period. There are also variations in the payment, depending on the circumstances.

How do you confirm your absence?

Before you can get approval for bereavement leaves, you should get in touch your supervisor and have a discussion with them.

Before they grant your request, however, you must tell them when you plan to begin your leave and how much time you will be gone.

Walmart associates can take up to three days bereavement leave in addition to their regular paid time off.

Sometimes, proof of death may be required. Management can request a death certificate or visitation booklet, as well as an obituary. This will vary depending on your department.

Walmart: Is bereavement an excused absence?

Walmart will allow you to be absent for the occasion of your loss, but it is best to make sure that you call ahead so that your supervisor is informed.

Walmart employees will be granted three days of bereavement time and not punished for being absent.

Walmart Offers Bereavement Services to Anyone Who Qualifies

Walmart regular associates are eligible for bereavement leaves. However, this is not available to seasonal or temporary employees.

Walmart’s Bereavement Policy is available to regular associates, regardless of whether they are full-time or part time.

Why do you need to state the number of days that you will be off?

Your supervisor should know how long you are away from work in order to plan and schedule.

Many people will return to work in the usual three days. However, some individuals will require a longer grieving period due to cultural traditions.

Are you paid while on bereavement leave?

Walmart will pay you 100% for the three days that you are absent. Once those days are over, managers and supervisors will decide how to cover extra days.

It is important to inform your supervisor if you are going to be absent for more than three days.

Additional paid days might be possible if the deceased was a relative or if there are cultural circumstances.

Your supervisor may ask you to take vacation or unpaid time to make up for the additional days you have spent at work.

When assessing the length of your bereavement time, your supervisor will take into account the following:

Your relationship with the deceased
How long it will take to attend the funeral, or spend time with loved ones
How many times you took leave during the past year
Your leave will have an impact on their Walmart facility operations

What is Walmart’s Immediate Family Policy?

The immediate family includes parents, siblings, spouses and children.

Walmart defines an immediate relative to be someone who is connected to an employee. There are many ways to be a relative, according to the bereavement policy.

This could include adopted children or married children, as well as people living in civil marriages or partnerships.

Employees’ family includes their parents, siblings, children, spouses, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. These are people you might be looking after during work hours. This could also refer to anyone you share a home with.

Walmart employees can be granted bereavement leave after the death of close family members. This does not only include blood relatives.

Walmart is required by law to provide bereavement leave

There is currently no federal law that requires employers to offer bereavement time. Walmart’s bereavement policy, however, is very generous.

Oregon is the only state that requires employers to offer bereavement leave to their employees. Oregon allows employees to take bereavement leave for up to 12 weeks each year. This leave is not paid.

It is crucial to verify your Walmart paycheck stubs if you are required to take bereavement leave.

What are the Benefits of Bereavement Leave

Employers have the following benefits from taking a bereavement vacation:

It encourages productivity because it allows employees to take time to grieve.
Employees are not distracted and feel no need to work.
It promotes loyalty and compassion for employees, and shows empathy when they are in need of support and understanding.
This strengthens the relationship with employees who are in need of bereavement leaves

Walmart Offers Other Reasons to Take Leave

A leave of absence (LOA) is when you take a significant amount of time off work to attend to specific reasons. You may need to take a leave of absence due to medical reasons, military service, or the birth or adoption of a child. It can be paid or unpaid, depending on the reason.

These are the different types of leaves that Walmart offers:

FMLA Leave: The Family and Medical Leave Act, (FMLA), allows you to take time off work for a qualifying reason. This could be for a family emergency, foster care placement, or medical condition.
Personal leave: This will give you the opportunity to take time off work for certain situations as outlined in our Personal Leave policy. These situations can include: bereavement; education; care for a military spouse; birth or any other compelling factor.
You can take time off to serve your country by taking military leave. You may be eligible for a pay differential if your military salary is lower than the Walmart one.

An LOA is only available to those who have been employed at Walmart for at most one year. You must also have worked at least 1250 hours during the year before your leave.

This may be something you are interested in:

Amazon Bereavement Policy
CVS Bereavement policy?

Conclusion…

Walmart recognizes that employees may have limited options regarding taking time off, but Walmart knows better. There are times to work and times to grieve. In the event of the death of a loved one, they will give you a three-day vacation.

They will also give you an additional day if necessary. Important to remember that days off are more necessary for certain circumstances like sickness or childbirth.

There are likely to be differences in policies depending on the job you have and your workplace. You can always discuss your need for time off with your supervisor, provided it’s in line with Walmart policy.