Walmart Bereavement Policy (Ultimate Guide Updated)

Walmart is a company that supports the well-being of its employees. It understands the importance of helping its employees through some difficult moments of their lives. Therefore, the company has established a Walmart Bereavement Policy to give its workers the time and space they require to mourn.

What Is Walmart Bereavement Policy? (2023)

When a loved one passes away, employment should be the last thing you need to worry about. Similar to Costco bereavement policy, Walmart’s Bereavement Policy enables employees to take the time they require to grieve and give their loved one’s farewell. 

So, when an immediate family member passes away, Walmart offers up to 3 days’ leave. However, the company also acknowledges that some circumstances can call for long periods of time off. The Personal Leave of Absence can be used in this situation where the employee gets paid even on their off days. 

Hence, Walmart has you covered whether you need to finish up unfinished business or go to a funeral out of town. According to Walmart, immediate family members are the ones that are related to the employee. This can include parents, siblings, spouses, children, and grandparents.

Moreover, Walmart employees can still take 3 days off for friends or non-immediate family members. These include cousins, aunts, or uncles, but they will not receive any compensation during this time.

How To Get Bereavement Leave At Walmart? 

When you lose a loved one, your mind is in no good shape to remember all the procedures of requesting a leave of absence from work. Therefore, Walmart has put in place a simple Bereavement Leave Policy. 

Employees at Walmart must follow the procedures to apply for bereavement leave. This simply includes one simple step which is requesting leave through Sedgwick, a third-party administrator of Walmart. 

• You can either do this by contacting 800-492-5678 or by making a request through the web portal for Sedgwick, mySedgwick.
• Sedgwick will verify the applicant’s eligibility after receiving the request.
• It will then forward the request for authorization to the retail location, and record and track the leave after receiving it. 
• It’s crucial to remember that Sedgwick must receive all leave requests, including those that call for a facility manager’s approval. 

The good news is that leave requests are routinely approved by Walmart’s Sedgwick system in only one working day. But, if an employee hasn’t received a response from the customer service manager, they should get in contact with them.

Who Does Walmart Consider Immediate Relative?

Employees must be aware of the details of Walmart’s Bereavement Leave Policy in order to determine their eligibility for leave.

The definition of a close relative under the policy is a person who is linked to an employee by blood, adoption, marriage, or civil union. 

This includes spouses, kids, parents, siblings, grandparents, and grandkids. Moreover, the employee’s roommate or partner, as well as anybody else they share a residence with, are also covered.

As a result, workers may request mourning time off for the loss of their closest relatives and loved ones.

How Much Time Off Does Walmart Give On Bereavement Leave? 

There are a few aspects to which managers are instructed to think carefully before deciding how much bereavement leave to award from Walmart.

• To begin with, the length of time off provided is decided by the employee’s manager and can range up to a maximum of three days.

• To determine how much time off the employee has already taken, managers will look at the person’s attendance during the previous 12 months. 

• They will also consider how the employee’s absence could affect how their Walmart facility operates.

• In addition to the travel time needed to attend a funeral or be with family, they could consider the employee’s relationship to the dead.

Does Walmart Allow Leave For Longer Than Three Days?

The Walmart standard bereavement leave period of 3 days might not be sufficient for some people. Employees can request a Personal Leave of Absence under certain circumstances, which may be for an extended duration.

The only problem is that these prolonged leaves of absence aren’t compensated.

In order to avoid losing income during this time, an employee who wants to take further time off may have to use up any earned paid time off.

It may seem like a tough pill to swallow but it’s important to keep in mind that a Personal Leave of Absence may give an employee much-needed time to grieve. Therefore it can be beneficial to have more time to recover and handle a loss, even though it would need some financial planning on the side of the employee.

So, Walmart recognizes that every individual can have different requirements and therefore values their requests in this regard. 

By offering a range of options, Walmart shows its commitment to supporting its employees during the difficult times of their lives.

Does Walmart Pay When An Employee Is On Bereavement Leave?

When a permanent employee takes a bereavement leave, Walmart will compensate them for the hours they would have worked at their usual hourly rate. It is similar to taking off days but the benefit is that you also get paid.

There is a funny culture of planning a fake aunt’s funeral just to get some extra days off from work. Keep in mind that Walmart only offers 3-day bereavement leave so you cannot take advantage of this policy indefinitely.

Anyhow, it is comforting to know that you can take some time off to mourn the loss of your loved ones. Moreover, there is an option for Personal Leave of Absence for those who need some extra time but that does not come with the same financial perks.

Does The Law State That Walmart Should Provide Bereavement Leave?

Oregon is the only state in the US that grants its employees up to 12 weeks of bereavement leave annually. 

The law does not state that Walmart should provide any bereavement leaves to its employees. However, Walmart genuinely goes above and beyond to support its employees. It allows three-day bereavement leave with the inclusion of financial benefits. 

Now, if you need bereavement leave, make sure to check that you are eligible.

Key Takeaways 

• Walmart supports its employees in times of grief. Walmart’s bereavement policy allows its employees to take standard three days off from their work without worrying about their finances.

• If an employee needs more time away from work, they can apply for a Personal Leave of Absence which will be thoroughly considered by the manager and the employee may still get paid. 

• For applying to Walmart’s bereavement policy, you just need to request the leave through Sedgwick, a third-party administrator of Walmart. You can either do this by contacting 800-492-5678 or by requesting through the web portal for Sedgwick, mySedgwick.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How is bereavement leave validated?

When it comes to immediate family members, the majority of employers do not ask for any proof. However, if necessary, you could be asked to share the details of the funeral program.

What does bereavement imply in terms of pay?

Bereavement leave applies when a worker is unable to work due to a death in the immediate family. A paid Personal Leave of Absence and bereavement leave cannot be applied at the same time.

What is the normal length of a bereavement leave?

Bereavement leave is not required by the law. Therefore, each company has its own choice over how long it should be. Organizations often grant three to five days off per loss of a loved one, each year. 

How do bereavement leave and sick time differ from each other?

Bereavement leave is a sort of sick leave used to grieve the loss of a loved one. Several companies provide one or two weeks of annual paid sick leaves, which can be used for bereavement. 

Why are uncles and aunts excluded from bereavement?

Aunts and uncles are often not regarded as intimate family members. The definition of close or immediate family members include parents, siblings, spouse, and children. However, this definition is not absolute and may vary from company to company.