Bereavement leave in the UK: your rights and what’s changing
Losing someone close to you is hard enough, without worrying about going to work. Many people aren’t sure how much time they can take off work after a bereavement. Equally, many employers don’t know what they can offer, either.
This blog was originally published in January 2020 and updated in October 2026 to include recent changes.
How much bereavement leave can you take?
Currently, UK employees have no automatic right to paid time off for bereavement. However, you do have the right to ‘reasonable’ unpaid leave to deal with an emergency involving a dependant. ‘Dependant’ includes the following:
- Spouse
- Partner
- Child
- Grandchild
- Parent
- Anyone who depends on you for care
‘Reasonable’ is quite vague, and the law doesn’t specify how much time is reasonable, so it depends on the circumstances and your employer’s policy. ‘Emergency’ is also ambiguous, but Acas guidance says it includes time to deal with unexpected emergencies, e.g. a child has an accident and is taken to hospital, and time to arrange or attend a funeral.
What about compassionate leave?
Some employers offer paid compassionate leave. This is not a legal requirement, but if an employer does offer it, it’ll be included in your employment contract or staff handbook.
Parental bereavement and pay
Children are included in the right to ‘reasonable unpaid leave’ to deal with an emergency; however, the law goes further for parents who lose a child.
You can take two weeks’ leave from day one of your job if:
- You lose a child under the age of 18
- You have a stillbirth after 24 weeks
This leave can be taken as one block of two weeks or as two separate blocks of one week, within 56 weeks of the death.
If you have worked for your employer for at least 26 weeks, you may also receive statutory bereavement pay. This is £194.32 a week (correct as at October 2026), or 90% of your average weekly earnings (whichever is lower).
Jack’s Law
This right is known as ‘Jack’s Law’. It follows a campaign by Lucy Herd, whose young son, Jack, passed away in 2010. At the time, the child’s father was only given three days off work to grieve. Lucy’s campaign for change led to the Parental Bereavement (Pay and Leave) Bill, and the new right came into force in April 2020.
Is bereavement leave changing in 2027?
The Employment Rights Act 2025 includes improved bereavement rights for employees. The main changes coming into force in 2027 include:
- A new right to (unpaid) bereavement leave for all employees from day one
- Inclusion of a wider group of relatives, not just a child
- Leave after pregnancy loss before 24 weeks
The Government will also specify which relationships qualify.
There is no set date for these changes to bereavement leave, and we will update this page when it is announced.
What employers should do now
- Check that your current bereavement and compassionate leave policies reflect the changes already in force
- Decide whether you want to offer paid bereavement leave on top of the new unpaid right
- Make sure managers know how to respond when someone is bereaved and that they are clear on what your policy is
- Apply a consistent and clear approach to requests for bereavement leave
Guidance for employees
If you have recently been bereaved, you should:
- Check your contract or staff handbook to see what your employer offers
- Talk to your manager or HR as early as you can; a ‘reasonable’ amount of time off is vague, so they should be able to clarify what they will offer
- Seek legal advice if you are refused any time off, if there is an inconsistent or unclear response to your request, or you’re treated unfairly because you took bereavement leave
Contact our employment law solicitors
If you need assistance with any contractual or policy documentation, call our employment lawyers on 0117 325 2929 or fill out our online enquiry form.
