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Amending Family Bereavement Leave and Child Extended Bereavement Leave Policy within the Kane County Personnel Policy Handbook
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WHEREAS, the Human Service Committee from time to time recommends that changes be made to the Kane County Personnel Policy Handbook to update policies and guidelines and stay compliant with applicable laws and regulations; and
WHEREAS, This is in response to a legislative change. The Child Bereavement Act was updated to the Family Bereavement Act.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Kane County Board that the Family Bereavement Leave Policy in the Kane County Policy Handbook is amended as set forth below effective December 1, 2023.
FAMILY BEREAVEMENT LEAVE AND CHILD EXTENDED BEREAVEMENT LEAVE
POLICY
It is the policy of Kane County to provide employees the leave needed for bereavement in compliance with the Illinois Family Bereavement Leave Act, 820 ILCS 154/1, et seq. This policy is not intended to provide leave in addition to what that Act requires.
FAMILY BEREAVEMENT LEAVE
ELIGIBILTY
All full-time and part-time employees who have worked at least 1,250 hours during the twelve (12) months preceding the leave and who have completed twelve (12) months of service are eligible to take Family Bereavement Leave.
GUIDELINES
A. Use: Eligible employees are entitled to a maximum of 2 weeks (10 workdays) of unpaid leave to:
1. Grieve;
2. Attend the funeral or alternative to a funeral of a covered family member;
3. Make arrangements necessitated by the death of the covered family member; or
4. Be absent from work due to:
i. A miscarriage;
ii. An unsuccessful round of intrauterine insemination or of an assisted reproductive technology procedure;
iii. A failed adoption match or an adoption that is not finalized because it is contested by another party;
iv. A failed surrogacy agreement;
v. A diagnosis that negatively impacts pregnancy or fertility;
vi. A stillbirth.
B. A “covered family member” is defined as an employee's child, stepchild, spouse, domestic partner, sibling, parent, mother-in-law, father-in-law, grandchild, grandparent, or stepparent.
C. Family Bereavement Leave time must be completed within 60 days after the date the employee receives notice of the event specified in Paragraph A. Employees must give at least 48 hours’ notice to their supervisor or department head before taking Family Bereavement Leave, unless not reasonable or practicable. In order to be granted Family Bereavement Leave, the employee must complete a leave of absence request form and be approved by their Department Head.
D. Employees are entitled to a maximum of 6 weeks of Family Bereavement Leave if they experience more than one event as specified in Paragraph A during a 12-month period. An employee may not take Family Bereavement Leave that exceeds the leave time allowed under, nor in excess of, the leave time permitted by the Family and Medical Leave Act.
E. The County may require reasonable documentation to support the need for Family Bereavement Leave. Reasonable documentation may include but it not limited to:
• Death Certificate;
• Published Obituary;
• Written verification of death, burial, or memorial services from a mortuary, funeral home, burial society, crematorium, religious institution, or government agency;
• Family Bereavement Leave Act 10(a)(4) Leave Form
F. Employees eligible to use accrued paid benefit time such as sick, personal, vacation, and funeral time may elect to substitute any period of such paid leave for an equal period of unpaid leave as provided for in this policy.
CHILD EXTENDED BEREAVEMENT LEAVE
ELIGIBILTY
All active full-time employees who have worked for the County for at least two weeks.
GUIDELINES
A. Use: Eligible employees are entitled to a maximum of 12 weeks in the event of the death by homicide or suicide of the employee’s: biological, adopted, or foster child; stepchild; legal ward; or child of an employee standing in loco parentis.
B. Leave taken under this section may be taken in a single continuous period or intermittently in increments of no less than 4 hours, but leave must be completed within one year after the employee notifies the County of the loss.
C. The County requests reasonable notice advance notice of the employee's intention to take leave, unless providing such notice is not reasonable and practicable.
D. The County may require reasonable documentation to support the need for Child Extended Bereavement Leave. Reasonable documentation must include cause of death and may include but it not limited to:
• Death Certificate;
• Published Obituary;
• Written verification of death, burial, or memorial services from a mortuary, funeral home, burial society, crematorium, religious institution, or government agency;
E. An employee who is entitled to take paid or unpaid leave (sick, vacation, personal, or similar leave) from employment, pursuant to federal, State, or local law, a collective bargaining agreement, or an employment benefits program or plan may elect to substitute any period of such paid leave for an equivalent period of leave provided under this section.
Passed by the Kane County Board on October 10, 2023
_________________________ _________________________
John A. Cunningham, MBA, J.D. Corinne M. Pierog MA, MBA
Clerk, County Board Chairman, County Board
Kane County, Illinois Kane County, Illinois
Vote: