An Act relative to bereavement leave

HD 2797 expands bereavement leave rights for employees in Massachusetts. It adds a new provision allowing covered workers to take up to 8 weeks of family leave (with 2 weeks of weekly benefits) within a benefit year to cope with the death of a family member, including attending funerals, making arrangements, or grieving. The bill specifies that leave under this provision can be taken intermittently, requires employees to provide documentation like an obituary or death certificate for certification, and prevents employers from forcing multiple concurrent leave periods for multiple family deaths in one year. This directly affects employees who need time off for family bereavement, not just immediate family.