From 6 April 2020 bereaved parents and primary carers will have the right to two weeks’ leave following the death of a child under the age of 18, or a stillbirth after 24 weeks’ pregnancy.
Bereaved parents can either take one week’s leave, two continuous weeks’ leave or two separate blocks of one week. The leave must be taken within 56 days of the child’s death. Bereaved parents with 26 weeks’ continuous service will also be entitled to statutory parental bereavement pay. The bereavement leave will be unpaid for employees with less than 26 weeks’ continuous service.
In light of the above, we recommend employers should consider having a bereavement leave policy in place to provide certainty for employees and also be aware of religious and cultural requirements linked to bereavement as certain religions may require a set time for mourning.
There are a number of other changes coming into force from 6 April 2020 – click here for more information
For more information or advice on preparing for this change, or to discuss any Employment Law & HR issue for your business, please contact a member of our Employment Law & HR team on 0115 9 100 200 or click here to send an email.
Posted on March 11, 2020