People who lose a loved one or experience the heartbreak of pregnancy loss will be entitled to up to two weeks unpaid leave under changes to the law from next April
People who lose a loved one or experience the heartbreak of pregnancy loss will be entitled to up to two weeks unpaid leave(Image: Getty Images)
People who lose a loved one or experience the heartbreak of pregnancy loss will be entitled to up to two weeks unpaid leave under changes to the law from next April.
Employees who lose a spouse or partner, parent, adult child or sibling will have a new right to bereavement leave. It will also include step, half or adoptive relatives, as well as kinship care and foster relationships.
There is currently no statutory right for employees to take bereavement leave following a death, except for parents who lose a child aged under 18, or stillborn from 24 weeks.
Labour’s landmark Employment Rights Act, which became law last year, introduced a new statutory right to unpaid bereavement leave, available from day one of employment and covering a wider range of than before, including pregnancy loss.
Setting out the changes to come into force in April 2027, ministers today said women and their partners who experience a pregnancy loss before 24 weeks, including miscarriage, terminations and unsuccessful IVF embryo transfers, will be entitled to up to two weeks of unpaid leave. One in five women in the UK experience a miscarriage throughout their lifetime, it is estimated.
Minister for the Future of Work Kate Dearden said: “No one should have to fight for time to grieve. These changes back people going through some of the hardest moments of life, whoever they are and wherever they work.
“I want to thank the campaigners, whose courage and testimonies, have made this change happen.”
Vicki Robinson, chief executive at Miscarriage UK, welcomed the changes but called for bereavement leave to be paid. She said: “This is an important step in recognising pregnancy loss as a bereavement and the profound impact it can have, and we hope will provide a baseline for employers to go further.
“We still strongly believe bereavement leave should be paid, and we will continue to press for this through our Leave for Every Loss campaign. We will continue work with Government to ensure the detail and guidance provide meaningful and compassionate support for everyone affected by pregnancy loss.”
TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “No one experiencing the devastating loss of a loved one or a pregnancy should have to worry that they cannot take the time off to grieve.
“Most employers already provide workers with time off after bereavement. But these new protections will make sure all working families have the time and space they need during some of life’s toughest moments.
“They show that stronger workers’ rights are not just good for employees and employers, they are the foundation of a fairer and more decent society.”
