Bereavement Leave in Tennessee
No state law requires bereavement leave in Tennessee
Tennessee enacted a bereavement leave law in March 2025, but it applies only to state government employees, not private-sector employers. Private employers in Tennessee are not required to provide bereavement leave.
What are your options?
If you work for the Tennessee state government, you may be eligible for bereavement leave under the 2025 state employee law. Private-sector employees should check their employee handbook or speak with HR about their employer's bereavement policy. You may be able to use accrued PTO, vacation, or sick time.
Bereavement leave in Tennessee: what you need to know
Tennessee has no state law requiring bereavement leave for private employers. The state does not mandate paid sick leave or provide state-level family leave beyond federal FMLA. Tennessee's regulatory environment is generally employer-friendly.
Tennessee's economy has been reshaped by the growth of its automotive sector (Nissan in Smyrna, GM in Spring Hill, Volkswagen in Chattanooga), healthcare (HCA Healthcare is headquartered in Nashville, and the city is the nation's healthcare capital), music and entertainment (Nashville's music industry), logistics (Memphis is FedEx's global hub), and a growing technology sector. Workers at major automotive plants and healthcare companies typically have bereavement leave.
Nashville's healthcare industry deserves special mention. As the headquarters city for HCA, Envision, and numerous other healthcare companies, Nashville employs tens of thousands of healthcare workers. Most Nashville healthcare employers offer competitive bereavement leave, reflecting the industry's general recognition that healthcare workers regularly face death and need adequate support when it touches their own families.
Memphis, home to FedEx's global hub and a major logistics center, has a different benefits profile. FedEx provides bereavement leave to its employees, and the company is one of Memphis's largest employers. Logistics and warehouse workers at smaller companies in the Memphis area may have less generous policies.
Tennessee state employees have leave provisions under the Department of Human Resources. State employees may use sick leave for bereavement. Tennessee's public universities (University of Tennessee system, Tennessee Board of Regents institutions) have their own leave policies.
Tennessee's growing technology sector, centered in Nashville, has brought employers with competitive benefits to the state. Companies like Amazon (which has significant operations in Nashville), Asurion, and numerous healthcare technology firms offer bereavement leave as part of their benefits. The contrast between tech-sector benefits and those available to workers in Tennessee's manufacturing, retail, and service sectors can be significant. Nashville's transformation into a tech and healthcare hub has not yet lifted benefits across all industries.
Workers in Tennessee's growing whiskey and spirits industry, centered in the Lynchburg and Nashville areas, work for employers ranging from major corporations (Jack Daniel's parent company Brown-Forman is headquartered in Louisville but has significant Tennessee operations) to small craft distilleries. Larger operations typically offer bereavement leave; craft operations may not. The industry's tourism component adds seasonal employment dynamics.
More Tennessee workplace laws
Check other workplace law topics for Tennessee:
Frequently asked questions about bereavement leave in Tennessee
Most Nashville healthcare companies, including HCA and its subsidiaries, offer paid bereavement leave. Nashville's concentration of healthcare corporate headquarters means that local industry norms generally include competitive bereavement benefits.
FedEx provides bereavement leave to its employees, including those at the Memphis hub. Specific terms depend on your position and employment category. Check your employee handbook or FedEx's HR resources.
Tennessee state employees may use accrued sick leave for bereavement. Contact the Department of Human Resources or your agency HR for specific provisions.
Nissan (Smyrna), GM (Spring Hill), and Volkswagen (Chattanooga) all offer bereavement leave. UAW representation at some plants may provide additional contractual protections. Check your specific employer's policy or union contract.
Nashville's music industry includes many independent contractors, freelancers, and gig workers who have no employer-provided benefits. If you are an employee of a record label, venue, or production company, check your employer's policy. Independent contractors must arrange their own time off.
University of Tennessee system and Tennessee Board of Regents institution employees have leave policies that typically include bereavement provisions. The specific terms vary by institution and employee classification (faculty, staff, part-time). Check with your institution's HR department for the current policy that applies to your position.