New bereavement leave rights will be brought in for parents who suffer early pregnancy loss - but what does this mean and who will it impact?
Bereavement Leave, established within the Employment Rights Act 2025, is a day one unpaid right to protected time off for employees to grieve the loss of a loved one.
While many employers will have their own bereavement policy - sometimes known as compassionate leave - the mandatory bereavement leave exists to provide a clear baseline for employers and will protect those employees who might not have otherwise received time off.
The Act sets out that the leave duration must be a minimum of one week, and that the bereaved person must have at least 56 days to take the leave, although both of these could be extended further. It also provides protection around redundancy and dismissal.
Currently those entitled to bereavement leave includes employees who lose a child under the age of 18, and those who experience a stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy - these people are currently entitled to up to two weeks of unpaid leave.
But from April 2027, the group of people entitled to bereavement leave will be extended.
Women and their partners who experience a pregnancy loss before 24 weeks, including miscarriage, a termination and an unsuccessful IVF embryo transfer, will be entitled to up to two weeks of unpaid time off work.
The right to bereavement leave will also be extended to...
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