My name is Dominic Harden, I am the Chair of the Virginia Young Democrats Labor Caucus, and I strongly support House Bill 1098 on Family Bereavement Leave. The loss of a loved one or a wanted addition to the family is one of the most devastating experiences imaginable. When familial tragedy strikes, the last thing that should be on anyone's minds is whether taking the time off they need to begin handling loss in their family will cause them to lose their job. When we lose someone we care about, we need time to handle the affairs of the departed, travel to funerals that may not be nearby, and mourn the loss of those that we care about. That is why I support HB 1098. This bill would provide Virginian’s with a guarantee that if they lose a valued family member, they will have a period of time to begin processing the loss in their family. Overall, giving Virginians time to grapple with terrible loss is the right thing to do, and I hope that you will all consider voting yes on HB 1098.

Workers in the commonwealth deserve time off to grieve the loss of those close to them. Some employers offer 3 day bereavement but that sometimes isn't enough to grieve a loved one as everyone mourns differently for those they love. That is why the Western Virginia Chapter of CLUW is asking that you support the passage of this bill.

In 2011 I lost my wife to complications from Leukemia- My employer has a union contract and within the contract I was provided with excused time from work to arrange her funeral service and to grieve- This excused time allowed me to be off from work for 5 calendar days- At the end of that excused time I was still in a depressed state- I asked my employer to excuse me from work for another 7 calendar days so that I might work through counseling to hopefully return to work- The employer granted the time for me and it was truly a blessing- I was lucky that I had the negotiated language and an employer who was willing to work with me- This is not always the case- If workers have to rely upon and employer to approve time off from work when they are grieving they will be left at the direction of their employer as to whether or not the time off and the duration of that time would be approved- This bill gives employees the security to know they will be able to take unpaid time off from work for up to 10 days in 12 months- Please support this bill and move it forward to the full committee- It is "The Right Thing To Do"

I support HB 1098 because it’s past time to treat Virginia workers with basic decency. No one can be expected to work productively if they’re grieving for a loved one. Giving workers bereavement leave will not only them to tend to their family’s needs, but it will also create a more humane and productive working environment for all Virginians. This will benefit workers and their employers alike.

I support HB 1098 because it’s past time to treat Virginia workers with basic decency. No one can be expected to work productively if they’re grieving for a loved one. Giving workers paid bereavement leave will not only them to tend to their family’s needs, but it will also create a more humane and productive working environment for all Virginians. This will benefit workers and their employers alike.

I believe in HB 1098 because it provides a guarantee of decency and respect to Virginians. Loss of a loved one is something we will all experience, and we all need time to grieve and process that loss. We need to work and maintain our professional lives and careers, and we should never have to choose between our job and going to our parents' funeral. We should be able to trust that we will have the opportunity to do right by our loved ones without a risk of us being unemployed because of it. Please vote yes on HB 1098.

Chairman and Members of Sub-Committee: My name is Jeff Richards, I am the president of the ATU 1493 in Roanoke, Virginia, and I strongly support House Bill 1098 on Family Bereavement Leave. Everyone deserves to have time to mourn the loss of their loved ones. When a person experiences loss, they deserve to have time to make necessary arrangements, attend a funeral, and begin to process the unexpected tragedy without fear that they may lose their jobs. Without guaranteed, job-protected bereavement leave, many Virginians are forced to decide whether it is worth their surviving family’s economic stability to honor loved ones who have recently passed. This isn’t right, and it's time that we work together to pass HB 1098 to ensure Virginians have the time they need to grieve their loved ones.

Comments Document

The attachment is my statement of support for HB 1098 and asking the committee to support it, too.