Jessica Jones

The United States of America makes YOU pay to grieve. 🇺🇸There is currently no federal law that requires private employers to provide either paid OR unpaid bereavement leave. That decision is left up to the states.

In my home state of California ☀️, employers are required to provide up to 5 days of UNPAID leave (if they have 5+ employees), but you can use your sick leave if ya wanna…. 👀

In Portugal 🇵🇹, on the other hand, you are entitled to 2-20 consecutive days of fully paid, justified bereavement leave depending upon your relationship to the deceased. It’s in the Portuguese Labour Code.

Beyond paid leave, Portugal has an entirely different approach to mourning the loss of loved ones:
🤍 Widows traditionally wear all white
🤍 Church bells often toll if the deceased was a beloved community member
🤍 Long wakes and gatherings bring neighbors, friends, and family together for days to pay their respects

These are just some of the traditions — not always held — but the overall message is different: you are HUMAN first; you are not a machine. And the feelings are valid.

Sending love to everyone navigating a season of grief 🫂🤍

(no, that mic was not working….)

#livingabroad #portugal #unitedstates #griefandloss #culturaldifferences