I once lost a job because my grandmother was hospitalized with congestive heart failure. The doctors said she wouldn’t make it through the weekend and since I was within driving distance (about 250 miles away), I knew I had to make the trip.
When I told my boss I needed to take a few days off and why, he said: “Then don’t come back.” He wouldn’t let me use vacation days either because “such absences must be pre-approved.”
Needless to say, I quit the job, hopped in my car and drove to the hospital to be with her — a decision I’ve never regretted. However, the whole experience made me mindful of the fact that flexibility in the workplace is not guaranteed.
Lawmakers in New York are now considering a bill that would give every worker in the state three paid months of bereavement leave to mourn the death of a loved one. The bill is sponsored by Sen. Richard Funke of upstate Batavia, whose son died.
“I’ve experienced the pain of losing a child. The grief can be unpredictable and overwhelming,” Funke said in a statement. “No employee should have to fear losing their job in order to take the time they need to mourn.”
Some small business owners oppose the legislation, saying it would cause economic hardship and create staffing issues.
“Our business and any other small business it would be catastrophic. Twelve weeks paid leave. We need all the staff that we have,” Greg Greenwood, owner of Bleeker Street Pizza, said.
If the bill passes and the governor signs it into law, New York would become the third state -– after Oregon and Illinois -– to offer a bereavement benefit and the second to provide paid leave. What do you think?
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–Quote is from Queen Elizabeth II
