Likewise, there is the own definition of what a family member would be. Typically, the term applies to parents, siblings, partners and children. However, there are companies that expand this spectrum to in-laws, grandparents, uncles and pets. It all depends on the negotiation that takes place with the leader.
How many days do they give leave for mourning?
Although today the days off due to the death of a family member correspond to the internal policies of the companies, the lawyer assures that there have been initiatives to include this permission in the law.
The most recent is an initiative promoted by Morena deputy Manuel Baldenebro Arredondo, who proposed modifying the Federal Labor Law to include paid leave in cases of force majeure, specifically in situations of death or hospital and post-surgical care of close relatives.
The initiative aims to guarantee a minimum of three days paid leave so that workers in Mexico can deal with emergency situations related to health or the death of close family members. Currently, this leave is only granted in cases of cancer treatment for minor children and the proposal seeks to expand this right to other force majeure situations.
Tania Estrada, director of Flexible Benefits for Lockton, mentions that some companies in Mexico grant up to seven days of bereavement leave and that, in many cases, the immediate boss has the power to grant the necessary time to collaborators. “This has become especially relevant in the current context, where many people work from home and may need flexibility to care for family members at specific times,” he says.
In addition to leave days, some companies offer leave products. optional insurance to help employees in situations of family loss. These products may include funeral expense insurance, funeral assistance and hospital support, among others. Employees can access them through flexible benefits platforms and, in some cases, they can be deducted from their salaries or charged to their credit cards.
Although there is no legal obligation to provide days of bereavement leave, many companies choose to do so as part of their commitment to the well-being of their employees and to attract and retain talent. This flexibility can help workers feel valued and committed to the company. Overall, this focus on wellness and work flexibility has seen an increase in demand from employees in Mexico.
Flexibility is here to stay
Who can know how many days it takes to recover from a loss? asks Carolina Astaiza. The talent director at Clara at the regional level is convinced that days off should not be conditioned or controlledbecause as human beings situations occur that get out of hand.
“There are people who take two or three weeks and others who take two or three days. That’s why we prefer that people be the ones who decide how much time they need for whatever reason,” he says.
The business expense management firm in Mexico offers its 353 employees 12 days of vacation, plus five economic days and personal days at their disposal. Astaiza details that they enabled a platform easily accessible where each employee can manage their days off and be aware of how many of each category they have available.
If an employee needs additional time due to the loss of a loved one or other circumstances, they can request it through this platform and the request is automatically sent to their leader and the human resources department. Clara ensures that this process is simple and easy to understand, training her employees to use it effectively. This has contributed to a low turnover of 24% and at a rate of engagement of 70%.
The Wortev business accelerator is one of the companies that has also implemented recovery days with pay to allow employees to spend time grieving a loss before returning to work activities.
In addition to the vacation days required by law, the firm offers three additional days in case a collaborator needs to be absent. To use these days, the employee must also notify their direct leader and register the request through the personnel management platform, People Cloud.
Said Rubio, director of human capital, assures that this allows Wortev’s team and managers to be aware of the situation and can offer additional support if necessary.
The company also has special permits for fathers and mothers who need to attend their children’s school events, as well as additional administrative days for important procedures outside of work.
Both Clara and Wortev have designed flexible day policies that allow their employees to take the time necessary to face the loss of a loved one, without additional worries and with the necessary support. These policies reflect their focus on the well-being of their teams and creating a work environment that encourages work-life balance.