The loss of a loved one is never an easy thing to deal with. When someone is grieving, it’s helpful if everyone else around them can try to make their life a little bit easier. Dropping off meals so they don’t have to cook, making important phone calls when they just don’t have the energy, and being there to make sure that they feel supported can all go a long way. The last thing you want to deal with when navigating a great loss is trying to find someone to cover your shift at work. But unfortunately, sometimes employers are not willing to help out, and coworkers cannot always accommodate you.

This employee recently asked the internet if they were wrong for how they went about trying to get a shift covered

Woman's Sister Dies Unexpectedly, She Asks For A Day Off Work, But Coworker Says No Because Of Her Religious Beliefs - 1 Woman's Sister Dies Unexpectedly, She Asks For A Day Off Work, But Coworker Says No Because Of Her Religious Beliefs - 2 Woman's Sister Dies Unexpectedly, She Asks For A Day Off Work, But Coworker Says No Because Of Her Religious Beliefs - 3 Woman's Sister Dies Unexpectedly, She Asks For A Day Off Work, But Coworker Says No Because Of Her Religious Beliefs - 4 Woman's Sister Dies Unexpectedly, She Asks For A Day Off Work, But Coworker Says No Because Of Her Religious Beliefs - 5 Woman's Sister Dies Unexpectedly, She Asks For A Day Off Work, But Coworker Says No Because Of Her Religious Beliefs - 6 Woman's Sister Dies Unexpectedly, She Asks For A Day Off Work, But Coworker Says No Because Of Her Religious Beliefs - 7 Woman's Sister Dies Unexpectedly, She Asks For A Day Off Work, But Coworker Says No Because Of Her Religious Beliefs - 8 Woman's Sister Dies Unexpectedly, She Asks For A Day Off Work, But Coworker Says No Because Of Her Religious Beliefs - 9 Woman's Sister Dies Unexpectedly, She Asks For A Day Off Work, But Coworker Says No Because Of Her Religious Beliefs - 10 Woman's Sister Dies Unexpectedly, She Asks For A Day Off Work, But Coworker Says No Because Of Her Religious Beliefs - 11

Many of the commenters noted that it should not be the responsibility of this employee to get their shift covered in a situation like this. Family emergencies do not happen every day, and it would be ridiculous to assume they could miss their sister’s funeral to go to work. In unique circumstances such as these, the boss should be willing to step in and cover the shift. They should be qualified to cover any of their employees’ shifts, and they should understand that it is not a situation that is going to happen often. There is no need for them to be completely heartless.

Some people said it was wrong to ask multiple times

Woman's Sister Dies Unexpectedly, She Asks For A Day Off Work, But Coworker Says No Because Of Her Religious Beliefs - 12 Woman's Sister Dies Unexpectedly, She Asks For A Day Off Work, But Coworker Says No Because Of Her Religious Beliefs - 13 Woman's Sister Dies Unexpectedly, She Asks For A Day Off Work, But Coworker Says No Because Of Her Religious Beliefs - 14

When it comes to bereavement leave, what this employee is entitled to completely depends on where they live. But taking a day off to attend a funeral of an immediate family member should not require jumping through hoops. Whether that day off would be paid or not might be in question, but that was clearly not this person’s concern. They just wanted to be able to grieve with their family and celebrate their beloved sister. If this employee lives in the United States, for example, there is no specific, mandated bereavement leave, but the U.S. Family Medical Leave Act does allow employees to take up to 12 weeks off (unpaid) for family-related matters. Surely, this would qualify as a “family-related matter”.

While readers are split on the issue, the majority agreed that the crux of the matter is how the employer responded

Woman's Sister Dies Unexpectedly, She Asks For A Day Off Work, But Coworker Says No Because Of Her Religious Beliefs - 15 Woman's Sister Dies Unexpectedly, She Asks For A Day Off Work, But Coworker Says No Because Of Her Religious Beliefs - 16 Woman's Sister Dies Unexpectedly, She Asks For A Day Off Work, But Coworker Says No Because Of Her Religious Beliefs - 17 Woman's Sister Dies Unexpectedly, She Asks For A Day Off Work, But Coworker Says No Because Of Her Religious Beliefs - 18 Woman's Sister Dies Unexpectedly, She Asks For A Day Off Work, But Coworker Says No Because Of Her Religious Beliefs - 19 Woman's Sister Dies Unexpectedly, She Asks For A Day Off Work, But Coworker Says No Because Of Her Religious Beliefs - 20 Woman's Sister Dies Unexpectedly, She Asks For A Day Off Work, But Coworker Says No Because Of Her Religious Beliefs - 21 Woman's Sister Dies Unexpectedly, She Asks For A Day Off Work, But Coworker Says No Because Of Her Religious Beliefs - 22 Woman's Sister Dies Unexpectedly, She Asks For A Day Off Work, But Coworker Says No Because Of Her Religious Beliefs - 23 Woman's Sister Dies Unexpectedly, She Asks For A Day Off Work, But Coworker Says No Because Of Her Religious Beliefs - 24 Woman's Sister Dies Unexpectedly, She Asks For A Day Off Work, But Coworker Says No Because Of Her Religious Beliefs - 25 Woman's Sister Dies Unexpectedly, She Asks For A Day Off Work, But Coworker Says No Because Of Her Religious Beliefs - 26 Woman's Sister Dies Unexpectedly, She Asks For A Day Off Work, But Coworker Says No Because Of Her Religious Beliefs - 27

The employee has since updated the original post as well

Woman's Sister Dies Unexpectedly, She Asks For A Day Off Work, But Coworker Says No Because Of Her Religious Beliefs - 28 Woman's Sister Dies Unexpectedly, She Asks For A Day Off Work, But Coworker Says No Because Of Her Religious Beliefs - 29 Woman's Sister Dies Unexpectedly, She Asks For A Day Off Work, But Coworker Says No Because Of Her Religious Beliefs - 30 Woman's Sister Dies Unexpectedly, She Asks For A Day Off Work, But Coworker Says No Because Of Her Religious Beliefs - 31 Woman's Sister Dies Unexpectedly, She Asks For A Day Off Work, But Coworker Says No Because Of Her Religious Beliefs - 32

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