Pandy asked Should employers grant time off to grieve f…

One day only, nothing more. Health insurance shouldn't pay for mental health services either - that would be like having insurance pay for you to travel around the world or something just because it feels good.

Karen's boyfriend · 4y

This question is really vague.

Should they be legally compelled to do so? God, no. Let me get 50 hamsters and treat them like shit to get days off.

Should they do it on the grounds of human decency? Yes, if they can and the grievance is real. There might be times were you cannot give an employee time off without jeopardizing the business. And it might be that the grief is really just silly. If your doggo, who spend 15 years faithfully on your side dies tragically - This must be hard, I am sorry. Take your time to get better. If you are devastated because your gold fish randomly died - I am sorry, but get a grip and do your work.

Qafka · 4y

I think employees should have an allotment of personal time they can use and should not owe their employer any explanation whatsoever for using it, and employers shouldn't be asking

Sean ⚡🤖 · 4y

I want to say yes. Personally I wouldn't think that specifically, I'd just take a sick day, but if the option's open I certainly wouldn't be opposed to it.

MistyRiver · 4y

I love my cat so I can empathize, but that seems a little excessive. People should be allowed to take personal days off if they have enough accrued PTO, otherwise an unpaid leave of absense seems fair.

Alice 💋 · 4y

Well, yeah, but I think we shouldn't have to think up where the lines are to be drawn w.r.t. when an employee should or should not be granted time off. I think employees should be able not to work whenever they want.

I can see how this would cause problems, but I also have a solution.

So, companies would presumably suffer because sometimes they'd have a lack of employees, or even be missing a key employee. But what if every company had a pool of many more employees than they actually need on a daily basis, so at any given time they can use however many they need?

But how would you do that, when all those people you're not using need to make a living so would have other jobs?

The answer is that everyone would have many simultaneous jobs and this would allow them to work whenever they feel like working by going to whichever of their jobs needs someone at the moment. Each person would be trained and skilled at each job they're signed up for.

This would make work a lot less monotonous and somewhat more fulfilling because there would be more variation in one's tasks and environment and a greater amount of learning, knowledge and skills involved.

Of course, if everyone can take off work whenever they want, what would companies do on holidays, when Christmas is coming up, etc., when nobody wants to work? The answer is just to pay more for those days to increase demand for someone in their pool to want to work. That way you let the market solve the problem and the employees get the extra compensation they deserve for working at inconvenient times.

inhahe · 4y

Depends. If it really hurts them that they no longer can do their work well they should be able to take some time off.

Wasserpistole · 4y

Since many employers give themselves time off to grieve the fall of their shares it would only be fair.

Kate Matsuda · 4y

yes, people are more productive if you give them the time and space to deal with their personal lives (including losses of loved ones) and let them come back to work refreshed. a grieving employee is not who you want at work

Teo · 4y

No. Take your sick leave.

Pandy · 10 answers · 4y