24 January 2020

Some parents will have the right to two weeks of paid bereavement leave if they lose a child, after the Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay Regulations come into effect in April 2020.

Parents will only be eligible for the right up until their child turns 18 and, although the entitlement to leave will be from day one of employment, workers will not be able to claim statutory bereavement pay unless they have racked up six months’ continuous service for that employer.

There are also exemptions for those taking home less than the Lower Earnings Limit.

Among those missing out on paid leave as a result could be temporary and casual workers, and those in part-time employment. The latest research from the TUC shows that one in nine workers are in such insecure jobs.