Kroger Bereavement Policy (Everything You Need to Know)
Today, many companies have bereavement policies that allow employees to cope when dealing with the loss of a loved one.
Since Kroger employs approximately 500,000 people across the United States, you might be wondering – does Kroger have a bereavement policy? Here’s everything I’ve found through my research!
Kroger Bereavement Policy
Kroger employees are entitled to 3 days of paid bereavement leave upon the loss of a close family member (parent, child, sibling, spouse) or family member (including additional PTO). Casual employees, employees hired less than six months ago, and employees scheduled to take leave may not be paid.
If you’d like to learn more about whether Kroger employees are paid during bereavement leave, what relationships are covered by Kroger’s bereavement policy, and more, keep reading!
Does Kroger pay employees during bereavement leave?
Kroger pays bereaved workers for up to three days, or whatever shift/day they are scheduled to work as long as it does not exceed three days.
Casual employees and workers who have been with the company for less than six months may not be entitled to this benefit. However, in the case of bereavement, they can still apply for up to 3 days leave.
Does Kroger provide bereavement leave for any family members or friends of employees?
Kroger only offers bereavement benefits to employees who have lost a loved one or immediate family member.
This includes your partner/spouse, siblings, children, parents (including step-parents), grandparents and grandchildren.
Kroger may allow bereavement leave if the deceased was a friend or distant relative who lived with the employee.
Please note that Kroger’s bereavement policy does not cover aunts, uncles, friends, church members, cousins, fiancées and others.
However, at the discretion of the store manager or supervisor, employees may take a few days off when they have lost someone other than a loved one.
How many days of bereavement leave does Kroger offer?
As a Kroger employee who has lost a loved one or family member, you are entitled to 3 days of paid bereavement leave.
If you need more time to attend a funeral or visit family, you can request additional paid time off, but remember that these three days only apply to the days you were scheduled to work.
For example, if you have scheduled days off within three days of the bereavement leave you requested, you will most likely not be paid on those days.
Does Kroger allow bereavement leave of more than three days?
If employees wish to take time off beyond the standard 3 days bereavement leave, they may request personal leave.
However, unlike the standard three days off, PLA will not be paid on a standard basis, so to avoid missing out on pay, it is advisable to use up any paid time off (if eligible).
Is Kroger required by law to provide bereavement leave to employees?
There is no federal legislation in the United States that compels employers to provide paid bereavement leave to employees. So, in this case, Kroger’s bereavement leave is much more lenient than the law.
It is important to note that the same applies in most states, i.e. employees must seek information from their employer about their rights in this regard.
The only exception to this trend is Oregon, the first and only state with laws allowing employees to take up to 12 weeks of bereavement leave per year.
However, like personal leave, this bereavement leave is unpaid.
If you want to know about Kroger’s other policies, be sure to check out our post on Kroger employee discounts and its return and break policies.
in conclusion
Kroger allows employees to take time off to mourn and bury their dead. Kroger employees are entitled to 3 days of paid bereavement leave as standard upon the loss of a close family member (parent, child, sibling, spouse) or family member. Casual employees or employees who have worked for less than six months can still take up to 3 days off, but their wages for the time they are off will be forfeited.
