Introduction
Page updated 15 October 2025
The Bereavement Leave policy (replacing Compassionate Leave) forms an element of UCD’s family leave policy framework and the University is committed to supporting employees who may require family related leave, such as in the case of a bereavement.
Every individual and every family is different. The University recognises the diverse nature of families and will respect and support all employees in taking the time they need to cope during a time of great difficulty regardless of their religion, race/ethnicity or sexual orientation.
For a full list of bereavement supports see the (opens in a new window)HSE website.
Bereavement Policy
Bereavement Leave is granted at the time of the bereavement to facilitate the employee with paid time off work. The amount of Bereavement Leave that can be availed of varies from 1 to 20 days depending on the nature of the relationship. Full details can be found in the policy.
A summary of the relations covered by the policy is outlined below:
- immediate relative
- father, stepfather, mother, stepmother, brother, stepbrother, half-brother, brother-in-law, sister, stepsister, half-sister, sister-in-law, father in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, grandfather, grandmother, or grandchild
- spouse (including a cohabiting partner)
- child (including adopted children and children being cared for on the basis of 'in loco parentis')
- any person in a relationship of domestic dependency
- aunt, uncle, niece, nephew
- In the event of a stillbirth or prenatal death of a child after twenty-four weeks pregnancy
The policy outlines the relationship between Bereavement Leave and Annual Leave, roles & responsibilities of the employee and Head of School / Unit and details of the notification process.
Read the (opens in a new window)Bereavement Leave policy now.
This section contains a summary of a UCD policy, however, in all cases the policy remains the definitive source of information on the topic.