UK Government Confirms Details of New Bereavement Leave Right

The Government has published its response to the consultation on the new statutory right to bereavement leave introduced by the Employment Rights Act 2025 (‘ERA 2025’). The response confirms the intended scope and practical operation of the entitlement, which is expected to come into force in April 2027.

Currently, statutory bereavement leave is limited to employees whose child under 18 dies or who experience a stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy. They may qualify for up to two weeks of parental bereavement leave and, subject to separate eligibility criteria, statutory parental bereavement pay. The ERA 2025 reforms will introduce a separate day-one right to unpaid leave following a wider range of bereavements, including pregnancy loss before 24 weeks. Regulations are still required to implement the detailed rules, but the Government’s consultation response sets out its intended approach.

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