Under the Employment Rights Act 1996, employees have a right to take a ‘reasonable’ amount of unpaid leave in order to deal with an emergency involving a dependent, which could include a child’s death. But in July, the government-backed private members’ Parental Bereavement Bill was introduced in Parliament which will give working parents the right to two weeks’ paid leave “for the purpose of grieving for a deceased child and supporting the other parent or parents”.
The leave will be paid at the same rate as statutory maternity/paternity leave, currently £139.58 or 90% of earnings, whichever is lower. Entitlement will be subject to service qualifications and proof of the employee’s relationship to the child. The Bill is expected to have its second reading in the autumn but there is no indication yet of when it will become law.
