Losing someone you love is one of the hardest experiences in life. For employers, having a clear bereavement leave policy isn't just good practice — it's a fundamental part of treating your people with dignity. Yet many UK businesses still don't have a written policy in place, leaving managers to make ad-hoc decisions and employees unsure of their rights. This guide covers the legal position, what most employers offer, a free policy template you can adopt today, and practical advice for supporting bereaved employees through their return to work.
The short answer is: not for general bereavements. There is no statutory right in the UK to paid or unpaid bereavement leave when an employee loses a spouse, parent, sibling, grandparent, or friend. The only specific statutory entitlement is parental bereavement leave, which applies when a parent loses a child under 18.
That said, employees do have a statutory right to time off for dependants in emergencies, which can include making arrangements following a death. And many employers choose to go well beyond the legal minimum by offering contractual bereavement leave as part of their benefits package.
Let's look at each of these in detail.
The Parental Bereavement (Leave and Pay) Act 2018, commonly known as Jack's Law, came into force on 6 April 2020. It was named in memory of Jack Herd, whose mother Lucy campaigned for statutory bereavement rights after losing her son in a drowning accident.
Jack's Law gives bereaved parents the following entitlements:
Jack's Law represented a significant step forward, but it only covers one specific — and thankfully rare — type of bereavement. For all other losses, employees must rely on their employer's goodwill or contractual policy.
Under Section 57A of the Employment Rights Act 1996, all employees have the right to take a reasonable amount of unpaid time off to deal with emergencies involving a dependant. This includes situations where a dependant dies. Key points:
This right is not a substitute for bereavement leave. It's designed for dealing with the immediate practical aftermath, not for grieving. If a parent dies on a Tuesday, this right might cover Wednesday and Thursday to register the death and contact the funeral director — but it wouldn't cover the weeks of grief that follow. That's why a proper bereavement leave policy is so important.
These terms are often used interchangeably, but there is a subtle distinction:
In practice, many employers use a single compassionate leave policythat covers both bereavements and other serious personal emergencies. Others prefer separate policies so they can offer different entitlements for each. Either approach works — the important thing is that your policy is clear, written down, and communicated to all employees.
While there's no legal requirement (beyond Jack's Law and time off for dependants), the vast majority of UK employers offer some form of paid bereavement leave. Based on CIPD data and typical HR practice:
| Relationship | Typical entitlement |
|---|---|
| Spouse, partner, or child | 5 days' paid leave |
| Parent | 3–5 days' paid leave |
| Sibling | 3 days' paid leave |
| Grandparent or grandchild | 2–3 days' paid leave |
| In-law (parent, sibling) | 2–3 days' paid leave |
| Aunt, uncle, cousin | 1–2 days' paid leave |
| Close friend | 1 day's paid leave (or funeral day only) |
Some progressive employers offer a flat entitlement — for example, 5 days for any bereavement — to avoid the uncomfortable process of ranking grief by relationship. This approach is simpler to administer and avoids difficult conversations about who "counts" as close enough.
Most employers pay bereavement leave at the employee's normal rate. However, there is no legal obligation to do so (except for SPBP under Jack's Law). When deciding whether to offer paid leave, consider:
One of the trickiest parts of drafting a bereavement leave policy is deciding which relationships should qualify. Here are the categories to consider:
Almost all policies cover spouse or partner, children (including stepchildren and adopted children), and parents. These are the relationships where the greatest entitlement is typically offered.
Siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, in-laws, aunts, uncles, and cousins are commonly included with a shorter entitlement. Consider whether step-relatives and half-siblings should be explicitly mentioned.
This is where policies often become vague. Not everyone has a traditional family structure. Some employees may be closer to a long-standing friend, a mentor, or a chosen family member than to a biological relative. Consider offering at least one day's leave for the funeral of a close friend, or giving managers discretion to approve bereavement leave for significant relationships that fall outside the standard list.
An increasing number of employees consider their pets to be family members. While it would be unusual to offer formal bereavement leave for pets, some employers allow a day's leave at the manager's discretion. Others suggest using annual leave or working from home. If you decide not to include pets, do so respectfully — dismissing the grief someone feels after losing a pet can damage trust.
Grief and mourning practices vary significantly across cultures and religions. A good bereavement leave policy should be sensitive to these differences:
The key principle is flexibility. You don't need to become an expert in every cultural tradition, but you should be willing to listen and accommodate where reasonably possible.
Below is a template you can adapt for your organisation. It covers the key sections every policy should include.
Bereavement Leave Policy
1. Purpose
[Company name] recognises that the death of a family member or close friend is an extremely distressing experience. This policy sets out the bereavement leave entitlements available to all employees to allow time for grieving, making funeral arrangements, and dealing with practical matters.
2. Scope
This policy applies to all employees from their first day of employment, regardless of length of service, contract type, or working pattern. Part-time employees receive the same number of days (not pro-rated).
3. Entitlement
Death of a spouse, partner, or child: Up to 5 days' paid leave.
Death of a parent or sibling: Up to 5 days' paid leave.
Death of a grandparent, grandchild, or in-law: Up to 3 days' paid leave.
Death of an aunt, uncle, cousin, or close friend: Up to 2 days' paid leave.
Other bereavements: Up to 1 day's paid leave at the manager's discretion.
4. Parental bereavement
In the event of the death of a child under 18 or a stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy, employees are entitled to 2 weeks' statutory parental bereavement leave under Jack's Law. This is in addition to the compassionate leave entitlement above. Eligible employees may also receive Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay (SPBP).
5. Pay
Bereavement leave under this policy is paid at the employee's normal rate of pay. Any additional unpaid leave agreed under section 7 will be confirmed in writing.
6. Requesting leave
Employees should notify their line manager as soon as reasonably practicable by phone, email, or text message. We understand that employees may not be in a position to make formal requests at the time of a bereavement. A colleague or family member may notify the manager on the employee's behalf. Where possible, an indication of the expected return date should be provided, but this is not required at the time of the initial notification.
7. Extensions
If an employee needs additional time beyond the standard entitlement, they may request further time off. Options include additional unpaid leave, use of accrued annual leave, or a combination of both. All extension requests will be considered sympathetically on a case-by-case basis. We recognise that cultural and religious mourning practices may require extended periods of absence.
8. Evidence
We do not routinely require evidence for bereavement leave. In cases of extended leave, we may sensitively request documentation such as a death certificate or funeral notice. We will never request evidence at the time of the initial notification.
9. Returning to work
On return, the employee's line manager will hold a brief, supportive return-to-work conversation to check on their wellbeing and discuss any adjustments that may help, such as a phased return, temporary reduction in workload, or flexible working. Access to our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) is available at any time. There is no expectation to "be over it" by the time you return.
10. Confidentiality
The reason for a bereavement absence will only be shared with colleagues if the employee gives their explicit consent. Team calendars and absence records will show the employee as "away" without specifying the reason.
Feel free to adapt this template to suit your organisation's culture and size. If you use LeaveApprove, you can set up bereavement leave as a dedicated leave type with its own allowance, approval workflow, and privacy controls.
Coming back to work after losing someone is difficult. Grief doesn't have a fixed timeline, and employees may experience waves of emotion weeks or months after the death. Here's how to support a smooth return:
Consider offering a phased return where the employee works reduced hours or days for the first week or two. This is particularly important after a significant loss such as a spouse or child. A phased return helps the employee readjust without being overwhelmed by a full workload from day one.
If the employee's role involves emotionally demanding work (e.g., customer-facing roles, care work, counselling), consider temporarily adjusting their responsibilities. A bereaved employee who normally handles complaints may struggle with emotionally charged interactions in the weeks after a loss.
Don't limit your support to the first day back. Schedule informal check-ins at one week, one month, and three months after the return. Anniversaries, birthdays, and holidays can trigger renewed grief — a sensitive manager will be aware of these dates and check in proactively.
Remind employees about any counselling or support services available to them. Many EAPs offer bereavement-specific counselling that can help employees process their grief. Make sure the information is easily accessible and regularly communicated, not buried in a staff handbook.
Many managers feel uncomfortable discussing bereavement because they're worried about saying the wrong thing. Here are practical guidelines:
Even well-meaning employers can get bereavement leave wrong. Here are the most common pitfalls to avoid:
Managing bereavement leave sensitively means having the right systems in place. LeaveApprove makes it straightforward:
There is no general statutory entitlement to bereavement leave in the UK, except for parental bereavement leave (2 weeks under Jack's Law). Most employers offer 3–5 days' paid leave for immediate family and 1–3 days for other relationships, but this is a contractual benefit, not a legal right.
There is no legal obligation to pay employees during bereavement leave (except for SPBP under Jack's Law). However, the vast majority of UK employers offer paid bereavement leave as a standard benefit. The cost is relatively low and the impact on employee loyalty and morale is significant.
Dismissing an employee for taking reasonable bereavement leave would likely be found to be unfair dismissal (if the employee has 2 years' service) and could give rise to discrimination claims if the bereavement is linked to a protected characteristic (e.g., cultural mourning practices). For parental bereavement leave, there is specific statutory protection against dismissal or detriment.
Jack's Law covers stillbirths after 24 weeks of pregnancy but does not cover miscarriage. However, many progressive employers now include miscarriage in their bereavement leave policy, recognising the profound grief that pregnancy loss at any stage can cause. Some also extend this to partners of employees who experience miscarriage.
"Funeral leave" is sometimes used informally to describe time off for attending a funeral, particularly for more distant relationships. It's not a separate legal concept. Most bereavement leave policies include time for the funeral as part of the overall entitlement.