Parental bereavement leave UK: entitlement and support

Eligible employees can take two weeks together, two separate weeks or just one week. The right to leave starts from the first day of employment. A week means the number of days the employee normally works in a week.

The leave must finish within 56 weeks of the death or stillbirth. Where maternity, paternity or another statutory leave period is already running, check the interaction rules; parental bereavement leave does not simply replace that existing entitlement.

For 2026/27, Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay is £194.32 a week or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower. Pay has additional eligibility conditions, including service and earnings, so an employee can have a leave entitlement without statutory pay.

Check the official eligibility guidance for the employee's relationship to the child, caring responsibility and pay conditions. Northern Ireland has different eligibility rules for bereavements on or after 6 April 2026; this guide's practical overview is for Great Britain.

A bereavement may require a mix of leave and support. Company compassionate leave, time off for dependants, sickness absence and an agreed return plan may each be relevant. Explain the available options without expecting the employee to know the terminology.

Agree a contact person and ask what, if anything, the employee would like colleagues to be told. Keep the process consistent while recognising that grief and family circumstances differ. Avoid framing two weeks as the period in which someone should have recovered.