Government proposes new legislation to support grieving parents in the workplace

Published on: 20/10/2017

#Family friendly

A Bill has been published that will entitle parents who suffer the death of a child to take paid bereavement leave.  Currently, employees only have a right to take a “reasonable” amount of unpaid time off work to deal with an emergency involving a dependent (which could include making arrangements after the death of a child).

The Parental Bereavement (Pay and Leave) Bill will entitle all employees, regardless of their service length, to two weeks’ paid leave after the death of a child under the age of 18 (or in full time education).

The Bill states that grieving parents must be paid no less than 90% of their average weekly earnings or £139.58 per week, whichever is lesser. Additionally, those who have 26 weeks’ continuous service will also benefit from statutory bereavement pay.

The bill will receive a second reading in Parliament on the 20 October 2017, with the aim of it becoming law in 2020.  We will keep you informed of further developments.

Disclaimer

This information is for guidance purposes only and should not be regarded as a substitute for taking professional and legal advice. Please refer to the full General Notices on our website.