I have noticed that here in NS work colleagues will go to the funeral of a family member of a work colleague. Even if its someones grandmother all/ most of the office attends the funeral.
I am not sure if I just worked at impersonal big corporations in the UK but we never did that there, it was unheard of to have your boss at your grandmothers funeral.


Has anyone else noticed this or is it me thats odd?

Never heard of it here at any of the 3 companies I've worked for in NB, and I wouldn't be doing it myself either

I am the only one here today not dressed to go to a colleagues grandmas funeral at 1.30pm.
Its a smaller office so its not such a surprise but when I worked for a huge Utility the bosses went there too. So maybe its a NS thang.


I dont want to go, I just feel a little weird.

I don't think it's a NS-specific thing. If my MIL had her way, we'd always be at funeral of some distant relative.

I've made my position clear. Very clear.

I am NOT going the funeral of someone I have not met at least once. I'm pretty sure the MIL hates me for it.

Are you from aways...

It's common to go to the visitation for a relative of someone you know. You don't have to know the deceased but you're sympathising with the bereaved.

Since I've been in Canada I always went to the funeral or visitation of a deceased family member of a work colleague, as did others I worked with.

Just seem the respectful thing to do

Did this when I worked for a small (less than 20 employees) as well as a larger 500+ employee organization

I have never done so nor have I known anyone to do so.

Majority of the time the employee who had a death did not tell anyone until after they returned back to work.

I would feel very odd going to a funeral of someone I did not know.

I've known to happen on this side .....

...... it's considered a sign of respect to the bereaved person who you do know.


But the other thing you have to consider is the fact that Nova Scotians have very close family ties.

My daughter's mother-i-l still phones her mother every single day whether she is in NS or down in Florida. She has apparently done that since the day she married and left home.

What makes me laugh is when I talk to "Grammy", and she says "it's very nice to talk to C, but I sometimes wish she didn't phone so often"


That means that friends and workmates will honour that bond by attending the funeral.

When my son died there were about 15 people from my ex husband's workplace and 5 from mine. None of the people from my ex's work had ever met him before and only 1 from my work had, but it was a show of respect to their colleague.

I guess it depends on how close you are to your colleagues. My ex works in a small office where all of the employees know each other and socialise. I work in a large department of a very large hospital and had been on a 7 month secondment, so I'm not as close to my workmates. Both of us really appreciated that the people we work with took time out on a Saturday morning to attend, though. I don't think it's a NS thing, as I remember going to a funeral for a friend in Toronto about 15 years ago and there were loads of people from his wife's workplace there.

Canadians are just nicer people. Deal with it.