Employees will gain new statutory rights to take time off following bereavement or pregnancy loss from April 2027, under changes confirmed by the government.
The measures will give employees up to two weeks of unpaid leave following pregnancy loss before 24 weeks, while a new day-one right to bereavement leave will cover the death of a spouse or partner, parent, adult child or sibling.
The bereavement entitlement will also extend to step, half, adoptive, kinship care and foster relationships, meaning employees could take leave following the death of a stepchild or other qualifying family member.
The changes will provide a statutory minimum for staff dealing with bereavement, although employers will remain free to offer more generous compassionate leave arrangements.
The leave can be taken flexibly within 56 weeks of the death, including as individual days rather than as one continuous period.
Employees taking leave during the first eight weeks following a bereavement will only need to notify their employer as soon as reasonably practicable, rather than providing advance notice.
They will also not be required to provide evidence of the death, with the government saying this is intended to protect employees' privacy and dignity.
Employees exercising the new right will be protected from detriment or dismissal.
Pregnancy loss leave
The government has also confirmed a new right to up to two weeks of unpaid leave for employees experiencing pregnancy loss before 24 weeks.
The entitlement will cover miscarriage, termination and unsuccessful IVF embryo transfers, and will apply to women as well as partners, other biological parents and intended parents in a surrogacy arrangement.
The government said the measure recognises that pregnancy loss can affect the whole family and aims to provide people with time to grieve without having to rely solely on an employer's discretion.
Currently, there is no general statutory right to bereavement leave in these circumstances. The government estimates that one in five women in the UK experience a miscarriage during their lifetime.
“No one should have to fight for time to grieve,” Minister for the Future of Work Kate Dearden said. “These changes back people going through some of the hardest moments of life, whoever they are and wherever they work.”
The changes follow a government consultation, in which more than eight in 10 employers and nine in 10 business representative organisations supported bereavement leave following the death of an immediate family member.
“Bringing forward a day one right to bereavement leave recognises the importance of giving employees time and space during some of life’s most difficult moments,” Matthew Percival, Future of Work & Skills Director at the Confederation of British Industry, said.
“Many employers already provide compassionate leave in these circumstances, and businesses look forward to engaging with government, unions and other stakeholders to ensure the detail and accompanying guidance work effectively in practice.”
The measures will be introduced through secondary legislation next year and are due to take effect in April 2027.
The changes build on the existing right to Parental Bereavement Leave for parents following a stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy or the death of a child under 18.
