A close relative died: how many days of paid bereavement leave do private-sector workers get in Peru?

What the law says

Bereavement leave for private-sector workers is set by Ley 31602, published in November 2022. Article 1 says:

“La licencia por fallecimiento de cónyuge, padres, hijos y hermanos es otorgada por un plazo de cinco (5) días calendario. Cuando el deceso se produzca en un lugar geográfico diferente de donde se ubica el centro laboral del trabajador, la licencia se extiende hasta por el término de la distancia, de acuerdo a lo que señale el reglamento.”

(Leave for the death of a spouse, parents, children or siblings is five calendar days. If the death happens somewhere other than the workplace, the leave is extended by the travel time, as the regulation sets out.)

The regulation (D.S. 013-2023-TR) came out in December 2023. The law did not wait for it: its final provision says it applies “sin que ello impida la aplicación y exigencia de la presente ley desde su vigencia” (and can be enforced from its entry into force).

How many days, and is it paid

Five calendar days. They run in a row, weekends and holidays included.

The leave is paid. The regulation says:

“En virtud de dicha licencia, el/la trabajador/a tiene derecho a ausentarse de su puesto de trabajo con ocasión del fallecimiento de su cónyuge, padres, hijos/as y hermanos/as por un plazo de cinco días calendario, con goce de su remuneración.”

(The worker may be absent for five calendar days, with pay, when their spouse, parents, children or siblings die.)

We found nothing in the law or regulation that lets the employer charge these days to your vacation.

Which relatives count

The list is short. The law does not mention a conviviente, and we found no rule treating one as a spouse for this leave. If your employer or a collective agreement gives you more days or more relatives, that stays. Article 2 of the law says those benefits “se mantienen vigentes en cuanto sean más favorables al trabajador” (remain in force where they are better for the worker).

If the death happened somewhere else

If your relative dies somewhere other than where you work, you get extra days to travel. The regulation says:

“Este último comprende los días adicionales para el desplazamiento del trabajador, según la vía de transporte utilizada, de acuerdo con el Cuadro General de Términos de la Distancia aprobado mediante Resolución Administrativa N° 288-2015-CE-PJ o norma que la sustituya.”

(The extension covers the extra days the worker needs to travel, by the means of transport used, according to the judiciary’s travel-time table approved by R.A. 288-2015-CE-PJ or whatever replaces it.)

The extra days depend on the place and on how you travel. We give no figures here because we did not read that table.

Who it covers

The whole private sector. The regulation says:

“La licencia se otorga a todos/as los/las trabajadores/as del sector privado, tanto a los/las del régimen laboral general de la actividad privada como a aquellos/as comprendidos/as en los regímenes especiales.”

(The leave applies to all private-sector workers, in the general regime and in the special regimes.)

It does not matter whether you are in the general regime or a special one. We found no exception for a probation period or for length of service.

How to request it

The regulation splits it into two moments:

1. Before: you send your employer a notice saying you qualify for the leave, with the start date and length.
2. When you return: you hand in the documents proving your relationship to your relative. If you asked for travel days, you must also show that the death happened elsewhere. If you cannot get that document, you give a sworn statement (declaración jurada) saying where your relative died.

The regulation sets no deadline for the notice. Send it in writing or by email and keep proof.

What your employer can do

Your employer can check that the leave is used for its purpose. The regulation says the employer “puede fiscalizar el uso apropiado de la licencia prevista en la Ley, atendiendo a su finalidad” (may check the proper use of the leave, in light of its purpose), and you must cooperate. We found nothing in the law or regulation allowing an employer to refuse the leave if you meet the requirements.

If you are refused or docked pay, you can complain to Sunafil. For the paperwork after a death, see death certificate registration and copies.

What this page does not cover

We do not cover leave for public-sector workers, which depends on each regime. We do not give the travel-day figures from the judiciary’s table. We also do not cover leave for a relative’s serious illness, which has its own law: see leave to care for a seriously ill child. For what happens to the job when the worker or employer dies, see when a tenant, landlord, employer or worker dies.