22/09/2026
The UK Government has today published a consultation response on bereavement leave proposals. It says that the new law will ensure that employees are guaranteed time off in some of the most difficult moments of their lives, and gives greater clarity for how employers can best provide support to their employees within these circumstances. It proposes:
- bereavement leave will be a 'day-one right' for all employees;
- it will be available to employees who experience a bereavement of a spouse, civil partner, partner in a committed long-term relationship whether cohabiting or not, parent, adult child or sibling (in each case including biological, adopted, step and half), plus any equivalent parental relationship arising from kinship and foster care;
- for pregnancy loss before 24 weeks (including termination and IVF embryo transfer loss), the pregnant person qualifies, as does a spouse, civil partner, other parent or committed partner, intended co-parents, and intended parents in surrogacy arrangements;
- entitlement is up to 2 weeks of unpaid leave, which can be broken up, provided that each ‘block’ is at least 1 day long;
- leave must be taken within 56 weeks of the bereavement (or knowledge of it);
- notice in the first eight weeks of bereavement need only be given before the employee starts work that day, or as soon as reasonably practicable; beyond eight weeks, one week's notice applies;
- there are no evidence requirements for this entitlement.
This is expected to become law in April 2027.
