# Managing bereavement leave Official source: https://www.employment.govt.nz/leave-and-holidays/bereavement-leave/managing-bereavement-leave Scanned: 2026-06-07T03:31:31.402Z Use this as a current official guidance reference, not as a substitute for legal advice. ## Page Text Home Leave and holidays Bereavement leave Managing bereavement leave Bereavement leave Leave and holidays Public holidays Annual holidays Sick leave Bereavement leave Managing bereavement leave Taking bereavement leave Parental leave Family violence leave Jury service leave Employment Relations Education leave Time off to vote Defence force volunteers Other types of leave Employers Managing bereavement leave Bereavement leave can be taken at any time and for any purpose relating to the bereavement. It does not have to be taken straightaway or on consecutive days. What an employee is entitled to All employees (permanent, fixed-term, part-time and casual Not defined in employment law, but usually refers to a situation where an employee works on an as-and-when-required basis and has no guaranteed hours of work, no regular pattern of work, and no ongoing expectation of employment. ) can use bereavement leave Paid time away from work that gives an eligible employee time to grieve and to take care of matters if someone close to them dies. It can be taken at any time and for any purpose relating to the bereavement. if: they have worked for you continuously for 6 months or: they have worked for you for 6 months for an average of 10 hours per week, and at least 1 hour in every week or 40 hours in every month. Employees are entitled to bereavement leave every 12 months as long as they meet the above criteria. If they do not meet the criteria due to changes in work, they’re not entitled to bereavement leave. However, the employee may re-qualify when they do meet the 6-month requirement. You may agree to give employees additional bereavement leave above the minimum entitlement, depending on the circumstances. For example, if a funeral is being held a long distance away. Employees should tell you as soon as possible when they have a bereavement, and they want to take leave. Chart for employees to work out if they qualify for sick leave and bereavement leave [PDF, 600 KB] Minimum entitlement Each employee gets bereavement leave for a minimum of 3 days per bereavement in the following circumstances. The employee’s immediate family member dies (for example, parent, child, partner or spouse, grandparent, grandchild, brother, sister, parent-in-law). The employee has a miscarriage or stillbirth. Another person has a miscarriage or stillbirth and the employee: is the person’s partner is the person’s former partner and would have been a biological parent of a child born as a result of the pregnancy had agreed to be the primary carer of a child born as a result of the pregnancy (for example, through a formal adoption or a whangai arrangement) is the partner of a person who had agreed to be the primary carer of a child born as a result of the pregnancy. Each employee gets bereavement leave for a minimum of 1 day per bereavement if another person dies and you accept they’ve had a bereavement. This is based on: how close they were with the deceased person whether they have to take a lot of responsibility for all or any of the arrangements for the ceremonies relating to the death if they’ve any cultural responsibilities in relation to the death. How much leave an employee can take If an employee: has not met the 6-month criterion so does not qualify for bereavement leave, or wants to take extra bereavement leave (for example, wants to take 5 days for the death of their grandparent) then their employer can agree that the employee can take: leave in advance, or leave as annual holidays; you cannot make an employee take bereavement leave as annual holidays Paid time away from work for rest and recreation. , or paid or unpaid leave. Proof of bereavement The law is silent about proof of bereavement. This means that requesting proof cannot be a condition for the employee taking bereavement leave. You’re not prohibited from requesting proof, either. So, the concept of good faith An underlying principle in employment law which requires employers and employees to deal with each other honestly, openly, and in a fair and timely way. would apply. This requires both you and your employee to be responsive and communicate, and not mislead or deceive each other. Good faith Payment for bereavement leave Payment for bereavement leave is only made if the employee would have otherwise worked on the day A day that the employee would have worked had it not been a public holiday, sick leave, bereavement leave, family violence leave, annual holiday or an alternative holiday for that employee. . Payment should be the employee’s relevant daily pay The amount an employee would have been paid if they’d worked on a public holiday, alternative holiday, or on a day they took sick leave, family violence leave or bereavement leave. or, if this is not possible or practical, then the average daily pay The daily average of the employee’s total gross earnings over the past 52 weeks. (ADP) should be used. Payment for bereavement leave is made in the normal pay cycle. Pay for sick, bereavement and family violence pay Bereavement and public holidays If the employee would have worked on a public holiday An observed day of national, religious, or cultural significance. Special payment rates and entitlements apply to public holidays. but has a bereavement, the day would be treated as a paid, unworked public holiday. Therefore: the employee would be paid their relevant daily pay or average daily pay (where applicable), but they would not be entitled to time and a half or an alternative holiday, and no bereavement leave would be deducted. Taking bereavement leave during holidays If the employee is: about to take annual holidays, Paid time away from work for rest and recreation. but has a bereavement before they go, you must let the employee take bereavement leave for the relevant period. already on annual holidays and has a bereavement, you must let the employee take bereavement leave instead of annual holidays for the relevant period. Published: 11 March 2024 Last modified: 13 January 2025 Written for: Employers Share this page: Print this page: