How many days, for which relative
The count follows the degree of kinship. First-degree relatives — spouse, children, parents — plus parents-in-law: 3 paid working days. Second-degree relatives — grandparents, brothers, sisters: typically 1 paid working day.
These figures are written into law for the public sector (Government Decision 250/1992) and mirrored by most private employers in their internal regulations or collective agreements. Some companies give more; less than the applicable collective agreement is not allowed.
| Deceased relative | Degree of kinship | Working days |
|---|---|---|
| Spouse | First degree | 3 |
| Child | First degree | 3 |
| Parent | First degree | 3 |
| Parent-in-law | Treated as first degree | 3 |
| Grandparent | Second degree | 1 |
| Brother or sister | Second degree | 1 |
What the law actually says
Article 152(1) of the Labour Code: for special family events, employees are entitled to paid days off that do not count against annual leave. Paragraph (2) says the events and the number of days are set by law, by the applicable collective labour agreement, or by internal regulations.
Two practical consequences. One: the right itself can't be refused — your employer decides how many days, not whether. Two: the days are fully paid and your holiday allowance stays untouched.
In legal practice, the death of a close relative always qualifies as a 'special family event'. A mother-in-law or father-in-law counts as a parent-in-law — 3 days.
Public sector versus private sector
In the public sector the number of days is fixed by Government Decision 250/1992: 3 working days for the death of a spouse, child, parent or parent-in-law, and 1 day for a grandparent, brother or sister.
In the private sector, the right comes from Article 152 of the Labour Code, and the concrete number is set by the collective labour agreement or the internal regulations. If you can't find the rule in your company handbook, ask HR directly — the entitlement exists either way.
The same article covers other family events
Article 152 is not only about bereavement. The same provision covers other special family events: the employee's own wedding (usually 5 days), a child's wedding (3 days), the birth of a child, and blood donation.
All of these days are distinct from annual leave and are not deducted from it. The bereavement days stay dedicated to the funeral and are not mixed with ordinary holiday.
Meal vouchers on bereavement days
A little-known practical detail: on paid leave days for bereavement, weddings or births, you do not receive meal vouchers. Vouchers are granted only for days actually worked.
This does not touch your salary, which is paid in full for the bereavement days. Check that month's payslip to confirm the days were paid correctly.
When the funeral is in another town — or another country
Three days are often not enough when you have to travel to another town or fly in from abroad. The law grants no extra days for distance, but you can top up with annual leave or unpaid leave (Article 153 of the Labour Code).
If you work abroad and are coming back to Romania for a funeral, agree the practical arrangement with your employer early. We can run the organisation in Romania while you travel — so your days off go to your family, not to paperwork.
The days are working days, taken around the event
Bereavement days are working days. If the funeral falls on a Saturday, you don't lose the entitlement — it covers the working days around the event.
They're normally taken immediately: the day of death, the wake, the funeral itself. Some internal regulations allow a short deferral — say, for a trip to another county a week later. Ask HR before assuming either way.
If you need more than 3 days
Three days is rarely enough to organize a funeral — especially from another city or another country. Your options: annual leave days, unpaid leave (Article 153 of the Labour Code), or remote-work arrangements if your employer allows them.
This is also where we come in: we take over the paperwork, transport, and ceremony coordination, so the days you do have go to your family — not to queues at government counters.
If your employer refuses
Refusing bereavement leave for a first-degree relative breaches Article 152 and the applicable collective agreement. Ask for the refusal in writing, quote the article and the internal regulations, and if nothing changes, file a complaint with the Territorial Labour Inspectorate (ITM) for your county.
Disciplinary action for missing work on the day of a close relative's funeral, with a properly filed request, does not survive in court.