Employment Rights Bill: Bereavement, paternity & unpaid parental leave - what do businesses need to know?

Changes to bereavement, paternity and unpaid parental leave are on their way as part of the Employment Rights Bill, so it’s important your business knows what’s on the horizon to ensure you’re operating in line with the law.

Bereavement leave

Bereavement is estimated to cost the UK economy £23 billion a year. It also costs the Treasury £8 billion a year in reduced tax revenue as one in ten employees are affected by bereavement.

The Employment Rights Bill will establish a day one right to protected time off to grieve the loss of a loved one. The amount of leave permitted must be at least one week, and the right to take it must extend to at least 56 days after the person’s death.

Paternity leave & unpaid parental leave

Evidence suggests that giving fathers more parental leave leads to a more equal division of household chores and childcare. Fathers who spend time with their child in their first year are also more likely to be involved with their children

There is also evidence that increased involvement from fathers improves outcomes for children.

The Employment Rights Bill will bring in a day one right for an employee to give an employer notice of an intention to take leave which will bring the right into line with maternity leave and adoption leave. The bill will also remove the restriction on taking paternity leave after taking shared parental leave.

Notice periods

To take paternity leave, an employee must give notice 15 weeks before the expected week of childbirth, or as soon as reasonably practicable.

To take unpaid parental leave, the employee must give notice 21 days before or – again – as soon as reasonably practicable.

What should you do?

In anticipation of the changes – particularly in relation to bereavement leave – employers should prepare a policy on:

• how much bereavement leave they will allow
• if it is to be more than the statutory minimum
• how long the right will remain active, and if it is to be more than 56 days.

We will be covering each new change following the Employment Rights Bill, looking into the details of what could impact you and your business. Keep an eye out on our website and across our social media as we publish our full set of informative articles that will help you understand the changes employers are about to face.

If you have any questions about bereavement, paternity or unpaid parental leave, or need assistance preparing for the new Employment Rights Bill, be sure to get in touch – our expert team will be willing to help.

Our Legal 500-rated employment law & business immigration team are experts in guiding businesses of all sizes and backgrounds through a range of issues that may arise.