Retailers will need to prepare for new statutory rights covering bereavement and pregnancy loss, with the changes due to come into force in April 2027.
The government has on Tuesday confirmed that employees will gain a new day-one right to bereavement leave following the death of a spouse or partner, parent, adult child or sibling.
The entitlement will also cover step, half, adoptive, kinship care and foster relationships – meaning, for example, an employee who loses a stepchild will have a statutory right to leave.
The leave will be available flexibly within 56 weeks of the bereavement and can be taken as individual days rather than one continuous period.
Employees taking leave within the first eight weeks following a bereavement will only need to notify their employer as soon as reasonably practicable. They will not be required to provide evidence of the death.
The government said the measures would provide a statutory safety net, while recognising that many employers already offer compassionate or paid bereavement leave.
Pregnancy loss
The government has also confirmed a new right to up to two weeks of unpaid leave following pregnancy loss before 24 weeks.
The entitlement will cover miscarriage, terminations and unsuccessful IVF embryo transfers, and will be available to women as well as their partners, other biological parents and intended parents in a surrogacy arrangement.
Currently, there is no statutory right to bereavement leave in these circumstances.
The government said the measures followed campaigning by people affected by pregnancy loss and were intended to provide greater consistency between employers.
“No one should have to fight for time to grieve,” Kate Dearden, minister for the future of work, said.
“These changes back people going through some of the hardest moments of life, whoever they are and wherever they work.”
The proposals received broad support from business during the government’s consultation, with more than eight in 10 employers and nine in 10 business representative organisations backing bereavement leave following the death of an immediate family member.
“Bringing forward a day one right to bereavement leave recognises the importance of giving employees time and space during some of life’s most difficult moments,” Matthew Percival, CBI future of work & skills director, said.
“Many employers already provide compassionate leave in these circumstances, and businesses look forward to engaging with government, unions and other stakeholders to ensure the detail and accompanying guidance work effectively in practice.”
The new rights will be introduced through secondary legislation next year, with the government confirming that they are expected to take effect in April 2027.
The changes build on existing Parental Bereavement Leave, which applies to parents following a stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy or the death of a child under 18.