Context
A friend of mine recently lost his Dad. This friend is really appreciated where he works, and have a close relationship with his direct manager and more generally speaking with his team (they go out for a few drinks after work, sometimes they eat at one or other place).
When he announced his Dad passed away, everyone (including his boss) told him they would go to the funeral, to show support because (and I mark this point) "this is what friends do". This wouldn't be an issue for the company, because they form a very small team and their 3h leave wouldn't be even noticed at a global scale.
Where it gets complicated, is when the boss's boss said anyone who would want to attend the funeral would have to take a day off, or at least half a day off.
I can totally understand this statement for my friend's coworkers, but what about his boss?
Question:
Should the boss take an off-time to attend the funeral, or is it a part of his role to represent the company in such occasions?
I feel that as a high-level manager, I would let some manager go to such a funeral without asking him to take a day-off.