We have an employee who we sponsor on a skilled worker visa. The employee has put in a written request to take 3 weeks annual leave to return to Nigeria to attend to her mother's funeral and buriel arrangements. The mother died on 5 April but has asked for 3 weeks from 23 May! Whilst we are sympathetic towards our employees when bereaved, the dates requested are 7 weeks after the passing. I would appreciate feedback from fellow professionals of Nigerian descent who can confirm if this is part of their culture. No disrespect intended but genuinely interested to get feedback.
Hello Samantha, this is where local context really matters. In Nigeria, burial ceremonies, especially for an elder or aged parent, are not a single-day event. They typically span one to two weeks of activities, including the wake, funeral service, thanksgiving, and family meetings to settle estate matters. These are deeply communal and often obligatory within extended family structures.
Beyond the burial itself, there are also post-burial family gatherings, legal/administrative arrangements, and cultural rites that can extend the process significantly. Add international travel logistics on top of that, and a three-week request is very reasonable and culturally consistent.
The 7-week gap between the death date and the leave start may also reflect the time needed to arrange travel, coordinate family across locations, and plan the ceremony. Nigerian funerals are often scheduled weeks in advance to allow relatives to travel from abroad.
From a cultural perspective, this would not raise any concerns for me.
Hello Samantha, this is where local context really matters. In Nigeria, burial ceremonies, especially for an elder or aged parent, are not a single-day event. They typically span one to two weeks of activities, including the wake, funeral service, thanksgiving, and family meetings to settle estate matters. These are deeply communal and often obligatory within extended family structures.
Beyond the burial itself, there are also post-burial family gatherings, legal/administrative arrangements, and cultural rites that can extend the process significantly. Add international travel logistics on top of that, and a three-week request is very reasonable and culturally consistent.
The 7-week gap between the death date and the leave start may also reflect the time needed to arrange travel, coordinate family across locations, and plan the ceremony. Nigerian funerals are often scheduled weeks in advance to allow relatives to travel from abroad.
From a cultural perspective, this would not raise any concerns for me.
