Canadian online estate planning company Willful is expanding its bereavement policy to provide more employee support and flexibility.

Employees are allowed up to 15 consecutive business days of paid leave to mourn a family member, 10 days for a close friend and three days for a pet. Through the nature of their work, Willful’s employees are very familiar with the grieving process, notes Julia Wilkie, the organization’s chief operating officer.

“We know when someone close to you passes away, it’s a really hard time emotionally, but then you also have to deal with settling their affairs and arranging a funeral. So we want to make sure if any of our employees are in this situation, we give them the time and space they need to be able to grieve, as well as support themselves and other family members in the process.”

Read: A look at current provincial policies on bereavement leave

The company increased the number of bereavement days after realizing its policy was outdated, she says, noting the standard three to five days that many employers have implemented just isn’t enough. “We’re very proud of our bereavement policy because it’s not just a one-size-fits-all approach. We know some people may have close friends they consider to be family, or some people have pets that . . . are super important to them. While we have guidelines, we also acknowledge families come in all shapes and sizes, so we have some flexibility on how we execute the policy. I think it’s important that all employers allow for flexibility during such a difficult time.”

Willful is just one of a few employers that are revisiting their bereavement policies. Indeed, last year Johnson & Johnson increased its bereavement leave from five days to 30 after one of its employees expressed five days wasn’t nearly enough to mourn the loss of his teenage son, according to a report by the Financial Post.

Wilkie notes increasing the number of bereavement days will likely improve productivity and retention because employees will feel supported by their employer and more satisfied with their job. “The more time you have to grieve, the more productive you’re going to be when you come back. If you force people back to work after a very short amount of time, their head and their heart won’t be in it.”

Read: Alberta expanding bereavement leave policy to include parents experiencing miscarriage, stillbirth