29 November 2019Parental Bereavement Leave will entitle employees who lose a child under the age of 18, or suffer a stillbirth from the 24th week of pregnancy, to two weeks leave, to grieve away from the workplace. This will be a day one right, so there is no minimum service requirement.
The Government has announced that Parental Bereavement Leave and pay will be available to be taken as a single block, or as two separate weeks, and that employed parents will have a period of 56 weeks in which to use their entitlement. The Government is expected to lay the regulations before parliament by the end of this year. The Regulations are expected to come in to force in April 2020.
In preparation for the introduction of this new statutory right, employers should consider having a written bereavement policy in place. It is also important to be aware that mothers who lose a child after 24 weeks of pregnancy or during maternity leave will not lose their entitlement to maternity leave and pay.
