When someone dies, the last thing you want to think about is work. But most people need to take time away from their job to grieve, arrange the funeral, and deal with the immediate practicalities. Understanding your rights can take one worry off your plate.
The short answer is that UK law gives most employees the right to take a reasonable amount of time off when a close relative dies — though for most bereavements, the law does not set a specific minimum number of days, and there is no automatic right to be paid. The main exception is parental bereavement leave, which gives parents up to two weeks of paid leave when a child dies.
This guide explains what you are entitled to, how parental bereavement leave works, and what to do if your employer is being unhelpful. For a full overview of financial support available after a death, see our bereavement benefits hub.
What the law says about bereavement leave
Under the Employment Rights Act 1996, employees have the right to take a reasonable amount of unpaid time off to deal with emergencies involving a dependant — including when a dependant dies or when you need to arrange or attend their funeral.
A dependant for this purpose includes:
- your spouse, civil partner, or partner
- your child
- your parent
- someone who lives in your household (but not a tenant or lodger)
- anyone who reasonably relies on you for care
The law does not specify how many days are “reasonable” for most bereavements — it depends on the circumstances, your relationship to the person who died, and what you need to do. In practice, ACAS guidance suggests that two to five days is commonly considered reasonable for a close relative, though employers should take individual circumstances into account.
There is no statutory right to paid leave under this provision. Whether you are paid depends on your employment contract or your employer’s bereavement policy. Many employers do offer a period of paid compassionate leave — check your contract or staff handbook.
Parental bereavement leave
Parental bereavement leave is a separate, specific statutory right for parents and carers who lose a child. It was introduced in 2020 under what is sometimes called Jack’s Law.
Who qualifies
You are entitled to parental bereavement leave if you are an employee and you have lost:
- a child under the age of 18
- a baby who was stillborn after 24 weeks of pregnancy
The right applies from your first day of employment — there is no minimum service requirement to take the leave itself.
How much leave
You can take up to two weeks off. You can take both weeks together or as two separate one-week blocks. The leave must be taken within 56 weeks of the date of death.
Is it paid?
You may be entitled to Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay if you have been employed by the same employer for at least 26 continuous weeks (as of the Saturday before the child died) and your average weekly earnings meet the minimum threshold (£129 per week from 6 April 2026).
The pay rate is whichever is lower: £194.32 per week (from 6 April 2026) or 90% of your average weekly earnings.
If you do not meet the service or earnings criteria, you can still take the leave — it will just be unpaid.
Some employers offer enhanced parental bereavement pay above the statutory minimum. Check your employment contract or HR policy.
How to request parental bereavement leave
You should let your employer know you are taking parental bereavement leave. If you are also claiming Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay, you must give written notice to your employer within 28 days of starting the leave. The notice needs to confirm:
- your name
- that you are entitled to the payment
- the start and end dates of the leave
- the date of the child’s death
- your relationship to the child
You do not need to give this information in advance of taking the leave — you can notify your employer afterwards. Your employer cannot ask for a death certificate as a condition of granting the leave.
Full details are on the ACAS parental bereavement guidance.
Compassionate leave
You may have seen “compassionate leave” mentioned in your employment contract or staff handbook. Compassionate leave is not a separate legal right — it is a term employers use to describe discretionary paid time off for bereavement or serious family illness.
Many employers offer between three and five days of paid compassionate leave for the death of an immediate family member. Some extend this to more distant relatives or to close friends. The terms vary widely, and it is entirely at the employer’s discretion unless it is written into your contract.
If your employer offers paid compassionate leave, that is usually more generous than the statutory minimum, so it is worth checking your contract or staff handbook before you think about your options.
How to request bereavement leave
There is no legal requirement to give your employer advance notice before taking bereavement leave — circumstances rarely allow for it. In practice:
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Contact your manager or HR as soon as you can. A call or message is fine initially. You do not need to go into detail — simply explain that you have had a bereavement and need some time off.
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Be clear about how much time you need. Wherever possible, give your employer an indication of when you expect to return, even if that might change.
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Check your company policy. Your staff handbook or employment contract may specify entitlements, who to notify, and any requirements around documentation.
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Ask about pay. If your employer has a compassionate leave policy, ask whether your absence will be paid. Most employers will not expect you to have this conversation straight away, but it is worth raising before you return.
Your employer may ask for some evidence — such as the date of the funeral — but they cannot legally demand a death certificate as a precondition for bereavement leave. If you need a death certificate for other purposes (such as notifying banks or accessing the estate), there is separate guidance on what to do immediately after a death.
You do not need to engage a solicitor or take any formal steps to request bereavement leave. Most employers will respond with understanding. If yours does not, the steps below explain your options.
If your employer refuses bereavement leave
Under the Employment Rights Act 1996, your employer cannot unreasonably refuse you time off to deal with a dependant’s death or funeral. If your employer refuses, takes disciplinary action against you for requesting leave, or treats you worse as a result, you may have grounds for a claim to an employment tribunal.
In practice, if you encounter difficulty:
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Talk to your manager or HR informally first. Sometimes a refusal is a misunderstanding about the policy or circumstances.
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Raise a formal grievance. If informal discussion does not resolve things, you can raise a formal grievance under your employer’s grievance procedure.
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Contact ACAS. The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service offers free, confidential advice on your employment rights. You can call them on 0300 123 1100 or visit acas.org.uk. ACAS can also provide Early Conciliation, which is a free way to resolve workplace disputes without going to tribunal.
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Employment tribunal. If other routes fail, you can make a claim. You must contact ACAS first (Early Conciliation is a legal requirement before a tribunal claim).
Self-employed people and freelancers
If you are self-employed or a freelancer, you have no statutory entitlement to bereavement leave. There is no employer to request time off from, and there is no equivalent of Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay for the self-employed.
In practice, you will need to manage your own time and decide what is right for you. If you have client commitments or contracts, it is worth communicating as early as you feel able to, explaining that you need some time and giving a revised timeline.
Some practical options:
- Review your contracts for any force majeure or personal emergency clauses
- Consider whether you can delay non-urgent work and prioritise essential tasks
- Ask a trusted colleague or associate to cover urgent work temporarily
If your partner or spouse has died and you had dependent children together, you may be eligible for Bereavement Support Payment — a government benefit that provides a lump sum and monthly payments. This applies to eligible surviving partners regardless of employment status.
Bereavement leave and pay: a summary
There is often confusion about what is paid and what is not. The table below summarises the key entitlements.
| Type of leave | Who qualifies | How much time | Paid? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time off for dependants (bereavement) | Employees — death of spouse, civil partner, child, parent, or household member | Reasonable amount (no statutory minimum) | No statutory right to pay — employer discretion |
| Parental bereavement leave | Employees — death of child under 18 or stillbirth after 24 weeks | Up to 2 weeks (within 56 weeks of death) | Statutory pay if 26+ weeks service and earnings meet threshold (£194.32/wk or 90% AWE from April 2026) |
| Compassionate leave | Employees — terms set by employer policy | Employer discretion (commonly 3–5 days) | Often paid, but depends on employer policy |
| Bereaved partner's paternity leave (from April 2026) | Employees — partner/co-parent whose mother or primary adopter has died | Up to 52 weeks (within 52 weeks of death) | Unpaid — day-one right, no service requirement |
| General bereavement leave (new right) | All employees — scope to be confirmed in regulations | At least 1 week (within 56 days of death) | Unpaid — expected from 2027 |
What is changing: new bereavement leave rights
Two significant changes are underway — one already in force, one coming in the future.
From 6 April 2026: bereaved partner’s paternity leave
A new statutory right came into force in April 2026 for employees whose partner or co-parent dies. If the mother or primary adopter of a child dies, their partner can take up to 52 weeks of unpaid leave to care for the child. This applies from the first day of employment — there is no minimum service requirement. The leave must be taken within 52 weeks of the death.
Previously, bereaved partners in this situation had no specific statutory entitlement beyond the general time off for dependants provisions. This new right closes a significant gap. (Source: ACAS — time off for bereavement)
From 2027: general statutory bereavement leave
The Employment Rights Act 2025 will introduce a new statutory right to bereavement leave for all employees, regardless of their employer’s policy. Under the new provisions:
- All employees will have a day-one right to at least one week of unpaid bereavement leave
- The leave can be taken within 56 days of the death
- It will cover pregnancy loss before 24 weeks — a group with no current statutory entitlement
- The exact qualifying relationships will be set out in regulations
This right is expected to come into force in 2027. It will sit alongside the existing time off for dependants provisions and parental bereavement leave, providing a clearer minimum floor for all employees.
Common questions about bereavement leave
How much bereavement leave are you entitled to in the UK?
It depends on your situation. For most bereavements — a spouse, parent, sibling, or friend — there is no statutory minimum. You have the right to a “reasonable” amount of time off under the Employment Rights Act 1996, which in practice tends to mean two to five days, though this varies. If you lose a child under 18 or suffer a stillbirth after 24 weeks, you are entitled to up to two weeks of statutory parental bereavement leave, which is separate from and additional to any other leave your employer offers.
Do you get paid for bereavement leave?
Parental bereavement leave may be paid at the statutory rate (£187.18 per week, rising to £194.32 from 6 April 2026, or 90% of your average weekly earnings if lower) — provided you meet the service and earnings criteria. For all other bereavements, there is no statutory right to pay. Whether you are paid depends on your employer’s policy. Many employers offer full pay for a period of compassionate leave, but this is discretionary rather than a legal requirement. Check your employment contract or staff handbook.
Can my employer refuse bereavement leave?
Your employer cannot unreasonably refuse you time off to deal with the death or funeral of a dependant — this is a statutory right under the Employment Rights Act 1996. However, they do have discretion over the length of time and whether it is paid (for non-parental bereavements). If your employer refuses or takes disciplinary action against you for taking bereavement leave, you may have grounds to raise a formal grievance or make a claim to an employment tribunal. Contact ACAS on 0300 123 1100 for free advice before taking further steps.
How do I ask for more bereavement leave than my employer offers?
Start by speaking honestly with your manager about what you need. Grief does not follow a schedule, and many employers are willing to be flexible — particularly if you explain the circumstances. You can request additional leave as unpaid leave or annual leave if paid compassionate leave has been exhausted. If your employer has an Employee Assistance Programme, it may also provide counselling and practical support. If your request is refused and you believe it is unreasonable, raise a formal grievance under your employer’s procedure, or contact ACAS.
Where to get support
Losing someone is difficult, and grief does not follow a workplace calendar. If you need more support at work, organisations including Cruse Bereavement Care and Sue Ryder offer free guidance on managing bereavement in the workplace.
For help with the practical tasks that follow a death — registering the death, notifying banks, claiming benefits — see our guide to what to do when someone dies and the Tell Us Once service, which lets you notify multiple government departments in a single step.
If you are concerned about finances following a bereavement, you may also want to read about Bereavement Support Payment — the main government benefit available to surviving partners.