As an employer, you must prepare for challenging situations your employees may face, which will affect their ability to work. One such situation is when your employee faces the death of a loved one. Not all your employees will deal with this situation in the same way. Therefore, you must be sensitive to their needs and treat your employees as individuals when they face a death, while ensuring you do not discriminate.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is currently no general statutory right to \u2018bereavement leave\u2019 in the UK. However, specific legislative provisions do exist that grant employees certain rights in particular circumstances related to bereavement. This article will explain these statutory entitlements and explore the options available to employers for supporting employees whose situations fall outside these specific legal provisions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Statutory parental bereavement leave (PBL) is a legal entitlement in the UK that provides employees with time off work following the death of a child. It is available to employees who lose a child under the age of 18 or who suffer a stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy. The right extends to: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eligible employees can take two weeks of leave. This can be taken as: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For a part-time employee who only works 3 days per week, a week\u2019s PBL will be 3 days, as a week is usually the same number of days normally worked. PBL is a day-one right, meaning there is no minimum length of service required to be eligible.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Where your employee takes statutory parental bereavement leave, they have the right to take it as paid leave, provided the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Staff members who are legally classed as \u2018workers\u2019 are not legally entitled to take statutory parental bereavement leave<\/a>. However, they may be entitled to receive statutory parental bereavement pay.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Additionally, where your employee takes statutory parental bereavement leave in response to a stillborn at or after 24 weeks of pregnancy, they can take it after their statutory right to maternity or paternity leave<\/a>. The entitlement to the latter is: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Both have the right to take parental bereavement leave in addition to their statutory maternity or paternity leave. However, they must take it within 56 weeks of the date of the child\u2019s death or stillbirth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Note that parental bereavement leave does not apply to miscarriages before 24 weeks of pregnancy. In such circumstances, an employer should consider offering compassionate leave, which is set out further below.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Unfortunately, while the law provides statutory parental bereavement leave for certain situations, it does not establish general statutory bereavement rights for employees facing loss in other circumstances. For those who do not qualify for parental bereavement leave, there are no explicit legal provisions granting time off specifically for bereavement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In these cases, employees and employers must rely on alternative arrangements or existing statutory rights that may be applicable. These could include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lack of specific statutory bereavement rights for other circumstances means that the approach to such situations often depends on company policies and the discretion of individual employers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Compassionate leave, also known as bereavement leave, is a type of leave that employers may offer to employees who are dealing with a personal loss or family emergency. Unlike statutory parental bereavement leave, compassionate leave is not currently a legal requirement in the UK. Instead, it is typically offered at the discretion of the employer as part of their company policies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of compassionate leave is to provide employees with time off to deal with the immediate impact of a bereavement or other significant personal event. This could include the death of a close family member, partner, or friend, but may also extend to other challenging life events such as the serious illness of a loved one or personal crises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Key aspects of compassionate leave include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n While not legally mandated, offering compassionate leave is considered good practice by many employers. It demonstrates empathy and support for employees during difficult times, which can contribute to employee well-being, loyalty, and productivity in the long term.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n Continue reading this article below the form\n <\/i>\n<\/a>\n\n
Alternative Options <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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What is Compassionate Leave? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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