8.3 Bereavement Leave

  1. A department head or designee shall authorize bereavement leave with pay for a permanent or probationary full-time State employee due to the death of the employee's parent, stepparent, spouse, domestic partner (as defined in accordance with Family Code section 297), child, grandchild, grandparent, brother, sister, stepchild, mother-in-law, father-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, or death of any person residing in the household of the employee at the time of death. An intervening period of absence for medical reasons shall not be disqualifying when, immediately prior to the absence, the person resided in the household of the employee. Such bereavement leave shall be authorized for up to three (3) eight-hour days (24 hours) per occurrence. The employee shall give notice to the employee's immediate supervisor as soon as possible and shall, if requested by the employee's supervisor, provide substantiation to support the request upon the employee's return to work.
  2. A department head or designee shall authorize bereavement leave with pay for a permanent full-time or probationary full-time employee due to the death of the employee's aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, or immediate family members of domestic partners as defined in paragraph A above. Such bereavement leave shall be authorized for up to three (3) eight-hour days (24 hours) in a fiscal year. The employee shall give notice to the employee's immediate supervisor as soon as possible and shall, if requested by the employee's supervisor, provide substantiation to support the request.
  3. If the death of a person as described above requires the employee to travel over four hundred (400) miles one way from the employee's home, additional time off with pay shall be granted for two (2) additional days which shall be deducted from accrued leave. Should additional leave be necessary, the department head or designee may authorize the use of other existing leave credits or authorized leave without pay. Any such request shall not be arbitrarily or unreasonably denied.
  4. Employees may utilize the employee's annual leave, vacation, CTO, or any other earned leave credits for additional time required in excess of time allowed in A or B above. Sick leave may be utilized for Bereavement Leave in accordance with the sick leave provision of this Contract in section 8.2. Any such request shall not be arbitrarily or unreasonably denied.
  5. Fractional time base (part-time) employees will be eligible for bereavement leave on a pro rata basis, based on the employees' fractional time base (See schedule in Article 7.1 (L)).