The government has confirmed that from April 2027 employees will have expanded rights to bereavement leave.
Current position
Under the current rules employees are only entitled to parental bereavement leave, which is available to parents who have suffered a still birth after the 24th week of pregnancy or the death of a child under 18 years old. The scheme allows employees to take up to two weeks' bereavement leave within 56 weeks of the loss.
Provided that the employee meets the minimum earnings threshold and has at least 26 weeks' continuous service, they will also have a right to statutory parental bereavement pay.
Proposed changes to bereavement leave
The new rights will be introduced through the Employment Rights Act 2025 and will coexist with the existing parental bereavement leave scheme. Employees will now also qualify for bereavement leave following the death of an immediate family member, including a spouse or civil partner, a partner in a long-term relationship (co-habiting or not), a sibling, children over 18 years old or a parent. Foster carers, along with adopted, step and half relationships will also be included. Certain relationships remain outside of the scheme, however - the loss of a grandparent or grandchild, for example, will not be covered.
Bereavement leave will also be available to parents who have lost a pregnancy before 24 weeks. This covers all forms of pregnancy loss, including miscarriage, ectopic, molar and chemical pregnancies, terminations and unsuccessful IVF embryo transfers.
Eligible employees will be allowed up to two weeks of bereavement leave, according to their usual working pattern. Unlike parental bereavement leave, this leave will be unpaid.
The government’s proposals received significant support from respondents to its consultation with 81% of employer respondents and 91% of business organisations in favour of including immediate family members as qualifying relationships. Additionally, 92% of respondents supported the inclusion of different types of pregnancy loss.
Overall, these changes represent a significant expansion of the existing statutory bereavement rights, recognising the impact that a wider range of family bereavements and pregnancy losses can have on employees. Employers should begin reviewing their family leave policies ahead of April 2027 to ensure they are prepared for the new entitlement and any associated practical implications, and ensure that their managers and HR teams are aware of the changes.
