12th December 2022
The INTO welcomes the publication of Circular 78/2022 – Bereavement Leave Scheme for Registered Teachers employed in Recognised Primary and Post Primary Schools.
A resolution at Congress 2022 demanded that teachers should have access to bereavement leave on a par with members of the civil service, and the publication of Circular 78/2022 achieves this.
Key points to note are:
- An increase from five consecutive days to 20 working days of bereavement leave following the death of a teacher’s child or spouse;
- Up to 20 days of bereavement leave following the death of someone with whom the teacher was in a “relationship of domestic dependency” – someone who lived with, and was cared for, by the teacher;
- A maximum of five working days for the death of an immediate relative;
- Weekends and public holidays will be excluded from periods of teachers’ bereavement leave;
- Flexibility to allow bereavement leave to be deferred in exceptional circumstances, such as when someone has died abroad, or when funeral arrangements are delayed;
- Ten days of bereavement leave for the father, or the partner of the mother, following stillbirth or prenatal death after 24 weeks of pregnancy.
All of the above bereavement leave will be substitutable. FAQs in relation to this circular have been updated on the INTO Leave Estimator and can be viewed here (member login required).
INTO Deputy General Secretary Deirdre O’Connor said:
Delegates to Congress 2022 outlined how the previous bereavement leave arrangements had left them trying to process the death of a loved one following a premature return to work. Delegates called for these very welcome changes, which will make a real difference to our members.”