If employee requests off to attend their grandfathers funeral, but the day before leaves early because kid is sick, the next day comes in to drop something off and states that they could not go to the funeral because kid was sick, is it still Bereavement Leave?

I would say, yes and that it depends on how your policy is defined.

The word bereavement is defined as: the state or fact of being bereaved; especially : the loss of a loved one by death. The fact that the employee was not able to attend the funeral did not mean that one did not occur. Nor does it mean that the employee is not bereaved or in grief.

You have a bereavement leave not a funeral leave.

Our's states the following:
In the event of a death in the immediate family, the Bank will provide a paid bereavement period. By definition, immediate family members include: spouse; children; step-children; parents; in-laws, including mothers- and fathers-in-law and sisters- and brothers-in-law; grandparents; brothers; sisters; and any other relative living in the same household.
Employees will be paid a bereavement period for work days missed, not to exceed three (3) days.

agreed, bereavement leave...do you really want to force the issue and create ill will over this?

We also allow employees who are on vacation and become ill to convert the vacation to sick time if they choose, provided they bring a doctors notice of treatment upon return to work.

I think of many years ago working for the FRB and I was scheduled to be out the week of Christmas, and the Sunday of that week my FIL passed away. Since I was already scheduled off, when I returned to work and notified them, they would not let me convert to bereavement (they have since changed this, little good it did me). That was the beginning of the end of my time there...

How does everyone handle blended families?

My grandmother died at easter, but because she was my
Step-mother's mother my bank refused to pay me bereavement. I had to use the last of my personal time in order to go to the funeral over 6 hours away. My dad and step-mom have been married for over 16 years, her family is part of my family. The kicker is that the way our policy is worded, if (god forbid) something should happen to my step mom or my step siblings then I wouldn't get bereavement for them either.

Just wondering how common this attitude is?

ours says parent, does not talk about biological versus adoptive versus step...we would err on the side of the employee, and have on more than 1 occassion. For example, out policy says 2 days for grandparents, but one of our employees spent as much time coming up with grandma as she did mom, and we gave her the 5 days for parents allotment...

We have limitations on the 3 days <grandparents, parents, siblings, children, spouse, etc.>. However we do get 1 day for any family member. When my aunt died last year I took that day and an additional vacation day. She was like a second mother to me and never had children of her own.

My credit union provides a very generous funeral leave policy:

Employees may be given the necessary time off with pay not to exceed five (5) working days, to attend the funeral of a member of the employee's immediate family. The immediate family includes the following: spouse, brother, sister, son, daughter, mother, father, mother-in-law, father-in-law, grandmother, grandfather or grandchild.

The employee’s Senior Manager may approve funeral leave for other relatives or extended family members. The employee’s Senior Manager may approve additional paid funeral leave time for out of town travel or extenuating circumstances up to a total of three (3) days.

Although it's called a "funeral leave" policy, I was granted 5 days off when my husbands' father died, and there was no funeral, and the same when my husband's mother died, also not having a funeral. We are fortunate that our management is very lenient with this policy.

Ours states parents, siblings, grandparents, etc. and comparable step & in-law relationships.

In the future, just drop the 'step'.

Our bereavement policy does not require deceased person to be a family member at all. Guess our management realizes that some of us have friends who are closer to us than family!

It was too late for that. I've been here 3 years, and they know my mom, and they know my mom's mom is already dead. Trust me, I wish I hadn't said anything about it being my step-mom's mom. But at the same time I know that it would have come out- there are only 5 of us at this branch, and we all are very close, and they would have asked whose mother she was.

No bereavement policy here, just used 2 days vacation to attend my grandfather's funeral in MO, and was informed that MGT was not happy since it was on a holiday weekend. Like I really had a choice in the matter I am the executor of the estate. What do you do in that situation, NOT go, I don't think so.

It costs employers so little to have some compassion, and earn an employee's good will and respect.

So sorry for your loss Rbanker. And how many days more than the 2 vacation days would you have needed if this unfortunate occurrence had not fallen on a holiday weekend? I would think management could be more considerate since the funeral did fall on a holiday weekend.

Our policy states 3 days bereavement leave for death in your immediate family, provided the time off is taken during the period between the day of death and the day following burial.

Well he died tuesday, I left Thursday morning, the visitation was Friday, and Funeral on Saturday, I flew back home on Sunday, I would have liked to have had more time, but my parents are spending the week there to figure everything out. I guess I wouldn't have needed anymore time, just nice knowing that if I need those 2 days in the winter if my child gets sick, I can use them now I guess if she gets sick daycare will have to live with it.

The banks I worked for before, 2 days in state, 3 days out of state. My present bank 2 days regardless. I missed my brother in law of 50 years funeral last year because I had taken an extra day 3 months before when my sister passed. Brothers in law are not listed as immediate family in our policy.

Same here. Everyone gets 3 bereavement days, period. Our bank recognizes that relationships are not defined by the degree of relation. I don't like the specific "3 days for mom, 1 day for grandma" philosophy because your grandma could have raised you. We don't know the full impact of someone's death on an employee.

Also, in addition to the 3 days, we are allowed an additional 2-7 business days under supervisor discretion. I know I would need more than 3 days if something happened to my immediately family. A lady here lost her teenage son a few months ago and the bank paid for 2 weeks of bereavement leave. Her supervisor approved it, no questions asked.

This is what our policy states:
Bereavement leave of from 1 to 5 days will be granted in the event of the death of a member of an employee's immediate family, which includes their mother, father, husband, wife, child, sister, brother and grandparents; also domestic partners, members of the household and close relationships created by marriage or domestic partner relationships. The length of leave permitted will be contingent upon circumstances, such as relationship to the employee, the need to travel, cultural and religious practices. Absences for bereavement will not affect the employee’s attendance record for the year.