The purpose of this policy is provide employees time off from work to mourn the death of an immediate family member. Employees will be granted three (3) working days paid bereavement leave. If the employee has to travel outside of the State of Florida to attend a funeral, the employee will be granted two (2) additional consecutive working days. Bereavement leave may be delayed if the funeral is not scheduled immediately.

Immediate family for purpose of this policy is defined as an employee’s spouse; natural and step-parents; natural, step and adopted children; natural, half, step and adopted brothers and sisters; grandparents, and grandchildren; as well as those same family members of the employee’s spouse; sons-in-law and daughters-in-law; and legal guardians.

A Department Director or official designee may request an employee provide proof of death to be eligible for paid leave under this policy such as a death certificate or obituary.

Leave Eligibility

This benefit applies to regular full-time and part-time employees of the City of Melbourne. Employees who are out of work on an unpaid leave of absence, or who are not actively at work due to an approved medical leave, will not be paid for bereavement leave since they are already away from work.