Existing law entitles employees to up to five (5) days of bereavement leave upon the death of a family member, defined as a spouse or a child, parent, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, or domestic partner.
SB 1149 expands the statutory definition of “family member” for the purpose of bereavement leave to include a “designated person,” meaning “any individual related to the employee by blood or whose association with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship.” The employee may identify the designated person at the time the employee requests the leave. An employer may limit an employee to one (1) designated person per 12-month period for bereavement leave.
Employers should review and, if necessary, revise their bereavement leave policies and related contractual terms to extend bereavement leave to “designated persons” according to the requirements of the law.
SB 1149 amends Government Code Section 12945.7.
