- There is no general statutory right to paid bereavement leave in Great Britain beyond parental bereavement leave and reasonable time off for dependants.
- Parental Bereavement Leave gives two weeks' leave from day one to parents who lose a child under 18 or after a stillbirth from 24 weeks.
- Good employers offer compassionate leave beyond the statutory minimum and apply it with flexibility and consistency.
- Support does not end when someone returns; grief is unpredictable, and a phased, understanding return helps.
Grief is one of the few certainties of working life: at some point, every team will include someone who has lost a person close to them. How an employer responds in those weeks and months is remembered for a long time, by the individual and by everyone watching how they were treated.
The legal position
The statutory framework is narrower than many people expect. In Great Britain there is no general right to paid bereavement leave for most bereavements. Two specific rights exist. The first is the right to a reasonable amount of time off to deal with an emergency involving a dependant, which covers the immediate practical response to a death but is not, in itself, leave to grieve and need not be paid. The second is Parental Bereavement Leave, sometimes called Jack's Law, which gives two weeks' leave from the first day of employment to parents who lose a child under 18, or who experience a stillbirth from 24 weeks of pregnancy, with statutory pay for those who meet the service and earnings conditions.
The government has consulted on extending statutory bereavement leave to a wider group of relatives, so the position may broaden in future. For now, most support beyond these rights comes from the employer's own compassionate leave policy.
Good practice
A clear compassionate leave policy that goes beyond the statutory minimum, applied with flexibility, is one of the most valued things an employer can offer. It should say who is covered, how much time is available, and whether it is paid, while leaving managers room to respond to circumstances rather than apply a rigid formula.
Grief does not follow a schedule, and the employers who support it well lead with humanity, then apply the policy.
What good support looks like
Grief is individual and unpredictable, and there is no correct timescale. Practical, human support tends to matter more than any policy detail. Simple things help: a manager who makes contact with genuine care rather than to discuss work, clarity that the person does not need to rush back, and a named point of contact so they are not repeating themselves to different people. It also helps to agree, gently, how the person would like colleagues to be told, and how they would like to be treated on their return.
Returning to work
Coming back can be one of the hardest moments, and a rigid return rarely works well. A phased or flexible return, temporary adjustments to workload or responsibilities, and understanding about days when grief resurfaces all make a difference. Grief can also arrive later than expected, or be reawakened by anniversaries and events, so support should not be assumed to end once someone is back at their desk.
Medwyn tip
Ask the person what they would find helpful rather than assuming. Some want normality and distraction; others need space and reduced demands. A short, private conversation about what would help, revisited after a few weeks, is worth more than any standard process.
Where occupational health fits
Most grief is a natural process that does not require clinical involvement, and ordinary human kindness is what matters most. But where grief becomes prolonged or complicated, or where it affects someone's mental health or ability to work over time, occupational health can help. A management referral provides supportive, work-focused advice on a return and any adjustments, and a route to mental health support ensures that someone who is struggling has somewhere to turn.
This article is general guidance for employers and is not individual medical or legal advice. If you are unsure how it applies to your organisation, contact our team.