Bereavement Leave in Wisconsin
No state law requires bereavement leave in Wisconsin
Wisconsin has no state law requiring private employers to provide bereavement leave. Leave policies are at the employer's discretion.
What are your options?
Check your employee handbook or speak with HR about your employer's bereavement policy. You may be able to use accrued PTO, vacation, or sick time. You can also request unpaid time off.
Bereavement leave in Wisconsin: what you need to know
Wisconsin has no state law requiring bereavement leave for private employers. The state does not mandate paid sick leave (Milwaukee's paid sick leave ordinance was struck down by state preemption law) and does not provide state-level family leave beyond what federal FMLA requires, though Wisconsin does have a state FMLA that provides additional unpaid leave for certain qualifying events.
Wisconsin's economy is built on manufacturing (particularly paper, machinery, and food processing), agriculture and dairy (Wisconsin is America's Dairyland), healthcare (Epic Systems in Verona is a major employer, along with health systems like UW Health, Froedtert, and Advocate Aurora), and financial services. Workers in these sectors generally have access to employer-provided bereavement leave.
Epic Systems, headquartered in Verona near Madison, is one of Wisconsin's largest private employers and is known for its comprehensive benefits package. Many of Wisconsin's major employers, particularly in the Madison and Milwaukee metro areas, offer paid bereavement leave of 3 to 5 days as a standard benefit.
Wisconsin's strong manufacturing heritage includes significant union representation. UAW, USW, Teamsters, and other unions have negotiated bereavement leave provisions in many Wisconsin contracts. Even as union membership has declined, many non-union employers have maintained bereavement leave as a standard benefit.
Wisconsin state employees have leave provisions under the Office of State Employment Relations. State employees may use sick leave for bereavement. The University of Wisconsin system has its own leave policies that include bereavement provisions.
Wisconsin's paper and manufacturing industries, particularly in the Fox Valley (Appleton, Oshkosh, Green Bay), employ thousands of workers. Companies like Kimberly-Clark, Georgia-Pacific, and Oshkosh Corporation are major employers. Many of these workers are covered by union contracts that include bereavement provisions. The Fox Valley's manufacturing base has maintained stronger union representation than some other parts of the state, which generally translates to better formalized leave benefits.
Workers in Wisconsin's beer and beverage industry, anchored by Molson Coors' Milwaukee operations and numerous craft breweries, have varying access to bereavement leave. Molson Coors and larger beverage companies offer bereavement leave through company policy or Teamsters contracts. Craft breweries, which are typically small employers, may handle requests informally. Wisconsin's strong brewery tradition means these employers are embedded in their communities and often accommodate bereavement even without formal policies.
More Wisconsin workplace laws
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Frequently asked questions about bereavement leave in Wisconsin
Yes. Wisconsin's state FMLA provides unpaid leave for certain qualifying events, but it does not specifically cover bereavement. It provides up to 6 weeks for childbirth or adoption and up to 2 weeks for a family member's serious health condition per year.
Epic Systems in Verona offers bereavement leave as part of its benefits package. Epic is known for comprehensive employee benefits. Check Epic's current HR policies for specific terms.
Wisconsin state employees may use accrued sick leave for bereavement. Contact the Office of State Employment Relations or your agency HR for specific provisions.
Milwaukee's paid sick leave ordinance was struck down by Wisconsin state preemption law. There is no municipal paid sick leave mandate in effect in Milwaukee. Workers rely on their employer's voluntary policy.
Most Wisconsin dairy farms are family operations or small businesses without formal leave policies. Larger dairy processing companies (Sargento, Land O'Lakes plants) typically offer bereavement leave. Check your specific employer's policy.
Wisconsin's state FMLA does not specifically cover bereavement. It provides unpaid leave for childbirth, adoption, and a family member's serious health condition. If grief leads to a serious health condition requiring medical treatment, you might qualify, but bereavement alone is not a covered reason. Federal FMLA has the same limitation.