Workplace Report November 2017

Equality news

Statutory bereavement leave for parents


Parents who lose a child under the age of 18 will be legally entitled to an extra two weeks paid leave to allow them time to grieve under a proposed law.


At the moment there is no legal requirement for employers to provide paid time off for grieving parents. Currently, under the Employment Rights Act employees only have a day-one right to take a “reasonable” amount of unpaid time off to deal with an emergency involving a dependant which also includes the time following a death. 


While some employers allow parents to take compassionate leave this is at their discretion.


The Parental Bereavement (Pay and Leave) Bill would make employees with a minimum of 26 weeks continuous service eligible for statutory parental bereavement pay. 


Although it is a private member’s bill, it has the backing of the government. The bill is expected to become law in 2020.


https://services.parliament.uk/bills/2017-19/parentalbereavementleaveandpay.html