Experts have welcomed an update to Acas’s bereavement guidance to better reflect the rules around leave entitlements for employees who have lost children or experienced a stillbirth.
The new guidance from the government’s arbitration service now outlines the statutory maternity and paternity leave rules for parents who have lost a pregnancy after 24 weeks, and has also been updated to include the parental bereavement leave entitlement introduced in 2020.
Acas’s bereavement guidance also includes new resources for supporting staff who have suffered Covid-related bereavements.
Susan Clews, chief executive of Acas, said: “The death of a loved one is a devastating and life changing experience for any employee. It can impact someone at work immediately as well as long term.
“Our new bereavement advice can help employers handle these difficult situations in a supportive, compassionate and practical way as well as understanding the law in this area.”
Under the current rules, birth mothers who experience a stillbirth – the loss of a pregnancy after 24 weeks – are entitled to up to 52 weeks statutory maternity leave or pay, while the birth father can get up to two weeks statutory paternity leave or pay.
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