Should staff be allowed time off on full pay to attend weddings, funerals, school sports days, graduation ceremonies and children’s birthday parties?
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If you are looking to the law to provide you with a definitive answer, then you can confidently say no. There’s no obligation to pay staff when they are off work to attend such events. Most employers would ask their employees to take these days or half-days as annual leave.
Some might allow staff to take time off and make up the hours before or after, but that would be up to the employer. Funerals would generally be treated as a special case, compassionate leave, although the closeness of the employee to the deceased would normally be taken into account.
Again, though, there is no obligation to provide paid leave, even if the deceased is close to the employee. Discretion will often dictate that the bereaved employee will remain on full pay for a reasonable period of absence, including the day of the funeral.
However, it is a sign of goodwill towards the employee and would generally be considered good practice. Peninsula Business Services can provide advice and assistance on any aspect of leave for family events.
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