New legislation has been published by the Government, entitling two weeks’ paid bereavement leave for parents.
The Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay Regulations, which will be known as Jack’s Law, will come into effect from 6 April 2020. It will cover any working parent, notwithstanding their length of service, and is a ‘day-one’ right.
It will provide a statutory right for parents to two weeks’ paid leave, if they lose a child who is under the age of 18, or if a baby is stillborn from 24 weeks of pregnancy.
Parents are able to take the leave in a single block of two weeks, or as two separate weeks during the first year after the child’s death.
Claire McCartney of the CIPD has cautioned that this is the ‘absolute minimum’ that employers need to do when supporting a bereaved parent.
She also commented that ‘Employers need to build supportive cultures and ensure that line managers are able to have sensitive conversations with employees affected.’
In light of Jack’s Law, employers should signpost bereaved parents to organisations and charities that can provide support, as well as highlighting their own occupational health and counselling services that they provide to employees.
It will be the first time that employees in the UK will have a statutory right to time off after a bereavement once it comes into effect.
It is estimated that the implementation of Jack’s Law will help around 10,000 families each year across the UK.