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Parental bereavement leave policy

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Our Parental Bereavement Leave Policy Template offers compassionate support, helping employees cope with loss while maintaining work-life balance.

Reading time
How long to understand and implement this policy?
10 mins
Word count
How many words in this policy?
579
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What is a Parental bereavement leave policy?

A parental bereavement leave policy is a set of guidelines and procedures that an employer has in place to manage employee entitlement to time off work following the death of a child or a stillbirth.

The parental bereavement leave policy outlines the amount of time an employee is entitled to take off work, the eligibility criteria for the entitlement, and any other conditions for taking leave. The policy may also specify the pay and benefits an employee is entitled to during the leave period.

The purpose of a parental bereavement leave policy is to provide support and flexibility for employees who are dealing with the difficult and distressing circumstances of the death of a child or stillbirth. By having a clear policy in place, employers can ensure that employees are aware of their entitlements and obligations and can manage staffing levels and plan for any necessary cover or arrangements during an employee's absence.

Best practice timescale for this to be issued
When should this policy be issued?
During onboarding / after changes / planned refresher
Issued by who, to whom
Who should issue this policy, and to whom?
Internally issued to appropriate recipients in your Company
Applicable legal jurisdictions
In which jurisdictions can this policy be used?
Great Britain & NI (United Kingdom), Worldwide

What legislation and best practice guidelines have been taken into account in the development of this template?

United Kingdom

Employees who have worked for their employer for at least 26 weeks are entitled to take up to two weeks of parental bereavement leave in the event of the death of a child or a stillbirth. The leave can be taken in a single block or as two separate blocks of one week, and can be taken within 56 weeks of the child's death.

Here are some key UK employment legislations that support the implementation of a Parental Bereavement Leave Policy:

  1. Parental Bereavement Leave Regulations 2020: Provides eligible employees with the right to take statutory leave following the death of a child.

  2. Employment Rights Act 1996: Outlines employees' rights to time off for dependents, which can be applicable in cases of bereavement.

  3. Equality Act 2010: Ensures fair treatment and prohibits discrimination concerning bereavement leave.

  4. Flexible Working Regulations 2014: Allows employees to request flexible working arrangements, accommodating bereavement needs.

  5. Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) Regulations 1982: May apply to employees taking time off due to bereavement-related health issues.

  6. Human Rights Act 1998: Protects employees' right to private and family life, encompassing the need for bereavement support.


Other territories

Consult your jurisdiction's employment legislation or labor laws to ensure compliance with the template. Review the language for local precision.

Parental bereavement leave Policy

Overview

Our commitment to helping grieving parents by enabling them to take parental bereavement leave is outlined in this policy.

Scope

Employees of [Company] who experience the death of a child under the age of 18 or a stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy are covered by the policy.

General principles

We acknowledge that while grieving is never easy, losing a child is one of the most traumatic experiences a person can ever go through.

Who is eligible for parental bereavement leave?

Whatever your length of service, you can take this type of leave if you are the parent of the child who has passed away, or the partner of the child's parent, or have parental responsibility for the child.

What leave a bereaved parent can take

You can take two weeks of parental bereavement leave, either as a single block of two weeks or two separate blocks of one week at different times.

You can take the leave at the time(s) you choose within the 56 weeks after your bereavement.

Notice to take parental bereavement leave

If you need to take parental bereavement leave within the first 56 days after your bereavement, you can take the leave straight away. You do not have to provide any notice. Please let your line manager know as soon as you can.

To take leave more than 56 days after your bereavement, please give your line manager at least one week's notice.

Pay during parental bereavement leave

Option 1 - employer pays parental bereavement pay at the statutory minimum rate

To receive statutory parental bereavement pay, you must have:

  • At least 26 weeks' continuous employment with us by the week before the one in which your child passed away (and still be employed by us on the date of the bereavement). And
  • Normal weekly earnings in the eight weeks up to the week before your bereavement of at least the lower earnings limit for national insurance contribution purposes.

If you qualify for statutory parental bereavement pay, you will be paid during your leave at the rate set by the Government, or at 90% of your average weekly earnings where this figure is lower.

Option 2 - employer offers enhanced parental bereavement pay

We recognise the need to provide bereaved parents with as much support as possible, and we will [continue to pay normal pay during your leave].

Rights during parental bereavement leave

During your leave, all the terms and conditions of your contract [except normal pay] will continue.

Returning to work after parental bereavement leave

When you return to work after some time on parental bereavement leave, you generally have the right to return to the same job.

However, a slightly different rule applies if you return from time on bereavement leave that follows on immediately from some maternity, adoption, paternity leave or shared parental leave (taken in relation to the child who has passed away), and your total time on leave is more than 26 weeks.

In these circumstances, you have the right to return to the same job, unless this is not reasonably practical - in which case you have the right to return to a suitable and appropriate job on the same terms and conditions.

Data protection

When dealing with parental bereavement leave, we will process any personal data collected in accordance with our data protection policy. In particular, we will record only the personal information required and keep the information only for as long as necessary.

This policy [does not] form[s] part of your terms and conditions of employment.

Version: [1.0]

Issue date: [date]

Author: [name, job title]

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parental bereavement leave policy