Paid leave for bereaved parents

Government proposes paid leave for bereaved parents

Under the Parental Bereavement (Pay and Leave) Bill proposal, any employee who is a ‘bereaved parent’ will be entitled to at least two weeks’ statutory parental bereavement leave on the death of a child under the age of 18 regardless of that employee’s length of service.

The statutory rate of pay will be the same as for other types of family leave (currently the lower of 90 percent of an employee’s gross weekly earnings or £140.98 per week).

The proposal is only a private member’s bill at present and many such bills fail to make their way into legislation.

But this bill does have Government backing and fits well with the government’s pledge to enhance rights and protections in the workplace.