Family leave
Bereavement Leave Policy UK: Statutory Rights, Pay & Employer Template
UK employment law provides two core statutory rights when someone dies: up to 2 weeks of Statutory Parental Bereavement Leave (and pay if eligible) for the loss of a child under 18 or stillbirth after 24 weeks, and reasonable unpaid time off when a dependant dies. A clear workplace bereavement policy adds defined paid compassionate days, manager guidance, and a supportive return-to-work plan.
- Statutory Parental Bereavement Leave (Jack's Law)
- 2 weeks
- Typical UK contractual paid compassionate leave
- 3 to 5 days
- Statutory leave applies from day one of employment
- Day-one right
- Window to take Statutory Parental Bereavement Leave
- 56 weeks
Guidance for England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland employment rules can differ.
Statutory bereavement rights vs contractual compassionate leave
Many UK employers and staff assume there is a single statutory bereavement allowance for any family death. In reality, UK statute separates bereavement into specific legal protections, while general compassionate leave (for example for a grandparent, sibling, or close friend) is governed by the employer's own contract or staff handbook policy.
Your bereavement policy should clearly set out the statutory floor first so managers never accidentally refuse a legal right, and then explain your organisation's contractual paid compassionate leave on top.
| Type of leave | Who it covers | Length of leave | Pay position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statutory Parental Bereavement Leave (Jack's Law) | Parents (including adoptive parents, intended parents, and partners) who lose a child under 18 or experience a stillbirth from 24 weeks of pregnancy | 1 or 2 weeks (taken together or as two separate 1-week blocks within 56 weeks) | Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay (SPBP) if the employee has 26 weeks' service and meets the earnings threshold, or contractual full pay |
| Time off for dependants (Employment Rights Act 1996, s.57A) | Spouse, civil partner, partner, child, parent, household member, or someone who reasonably relied on the employee | Reasonable time off to make immediate arrangements and attend the funeral | Unpaid by statute, though many UK employers pay 3 to 5 days under their compassionate policy |
| Bereaved Partner's Paternity Leave | Fathers and partners whose partner dies in childbirth or within a year of birth or adoption | Extended statutory leave entitlement from day one | Subject to statutory and contractual pay rules |
| Contractual Compassionate Leave | Immediate family, extended relatives, chosen family, or close friends as defined in your policy | Set by employer policy (typically 3 to 5 paid working days for close bereavement, 1 day for a funeral) | Paid at full basic pay where stated in your policy, with discretion for unpaid or annual leave extensions |
Source: Acas: leave and pay when someone dies · GOV.UK: parental bereavement entitlement
What to include in your UK workplace bereavement policy
When an employee experiences a bereavement, neither they nor their line manager should have to negotiate basic rules from scratch. A clear written policy removes uncertainty in the first 24 hours by stating who to contact, how many days are paid as standard, and who can authorise extra paid or unpaid time off.
Avoid overly rigid family-tree lists that exclude modern household structures, step-families, or pregnancy loss before 24 weeks. Setting a clear baseline (such as up to 5 paid days for an immediate family member or partner and up to 2 paid days for extended family or funeral attendance, plus manager discretion) gives consistency without removing humanity.
- Who to notify and how: allow a phone call, text message, email, or message via a trusted colleague or relative.
- Paid compassionate allowance: state the standard number of paid days and confirm that statutory parental bereavement rights apply in addition.
- Pregnancy loss and miscarriage: state clearly that pregnancy loss before 24 weeks is supported with paid compassionate leave or protected pregnancy-related sickness absence.
- International travel and religious observance: explain how requests for extra days (using additional compassionate leave, unpaid leave, or annual leave) are approved rapidly.
- Recording the absence: record bereavement and compassionate leave separately from sickness so it never triggers a Bradford Factor or absence review.
Managing communication, privacy and the return to work
Grief does not follow a fixed timetable or end when the funeral is over. Before the employee returns, agree with them in private what they would like colleagues or clients to be told: some people want their team to know before they walk back in, while others prefer complete privacy.
Hold a supportive, low-pressure check-in on return to work and consider temporary adjustments such as reduced hours, home working, or lighter client-facing duties. If an employee later becomes unwell due to grief or bereavement-related depression and is signed off by their GP, manage that period under your sickness absence and occupational health support procedures with sensitivity.
In practice
Worked example: combining paid compassionate leave and flexible return
Priya's father dies unexpectedly on a Sunday evening. She messages her line manager on Monday morning. Under the company's bereavement policy, she is immediately granted 5 days of paid compassionate leave for that week, and her manager asks how much detail Priya wants shared with the team.
Because the funeral takes place the following Wednesday in another part of the country, her manager agrees a further 2 days of paid compassionate leave for Tuesday and Wednesday of the second week, followed by working from home on Thursday and Friday. All 7 days off are logged under Compassionate Leave in the leave system so Priya's annual holiday balance and sickness record remain untouched.
Common questions
How many days of bereavement leave are you entitled to by law in the UK?
For most bereavements involving a dependant (such as a partner, parent, or household member), UK law gives employees a day-one right to a 'reasonable' amount of unpaid time off to deal with immediate arrangements, rather than a fixed number of days. If an employee loses a child under 18 or suffers a stillbirth from 24 weeks of pregnancy, they have a statutory right to up to 2 weeks of Parental Bereavement Leave.
Is bereavement leave paid in the UK?
General time off for dependants is unpaid by statute, so whether bereavement leave is paid depends on the employer's contract or compassionate leave policy (many UK employers offer 3 to 5 paid days). However, eligible parents taking Statutory Parental Bereavement Leave for the loss of a child under 18 or stillbirth after 24 weeks are entitled to Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay.
What is Jack's Law (Statutory Parental Bereavement Leave)?
Jack's Law gives employed parents a day-one statutory right to 1 or 2 weeks of Parental Bereavement Leave if their child dies under the age of 18 or is stillborn after 24 weeks of pregnancy. The leave can be taken as a single 2-week block or two separate 1-week blocks at any time within 56 weeks of the child's death.
Does bereavement leave count towards sickness absence triggers or the Bradford Factor?
No. Bereavement and compassionate leave should always be recorded under a dedicated leave category, separate from sickness absence, so it never inflates an employee's Bradford Factor score or triggers disciplinary absence reviews. If an employee is later signed off sick by a GP with grief-related illness, employers should still exercise care and empathy when reviewing absence thresholds.
Are employees entitled to bereavement leave for a grandparent or in-law?
Unless the grandparent or in-law lived in the employee's household or reasonably relied on the employee as a dependant, there is no automatic statutory right to time off. In practice, most UK workplace bereavement policies grant 1 to 3 days of paid compassionate leave for the death or funeral of a grandparent, parent-in-law, or extended relative.
How should a UK bereavement policy handle miscarriage before 24 weeks?
A stillbirth from 24 weeks of pregnancy qualifies for full statutory maternity and parental bereavement rights. Where a pregnancy loss or miscarriage occurs before 24 weeks, any sickness absence is protected pregnancy-related sickness (which must be recorded separately and never counted against the employee), and best-practice UK policies also provide paid compassionate leave for both the employee and their partner.
Can an employer ask for proof of a bereavement?
For general compassionate or dependants leave, Acas advises against demanding a death certificate or funeral order of service, as doing so damages trust during a distressing time. For Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay, the employee must provide a simple written declaration confirming their entitlement, not a medical or death certificate.
Your next steps
- Define your paid compassionate leave allowance clearly and keep statutory parental bereavement rights separate.
- Ensure bereavement leave is logged as its own leave type, never as ordinary sickness or deducted from annual holiday.
- Include clear support for miscarriage and pregnancy loss before 24 weeks.
- Ask the bereaved employee what they want shared with colleagues before making any team announcement.
- Check in before return to work and offer temporary adjustments to hours, workload, or location.
- Diarise important future dates (such as the funeral or later blocks of Parental Bereavement Leave within 56 weeks).
Sources and review
Reviewed against the official guidance below on 18 October 2026. Rates and employment rules can change; use the linked guidance for a decision about an individual case.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Crown copyright. This is Leavely's independently written guide.
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