Employer guide · Reviewed 2 November 2026
Bereavement leave from April 2027: what employers need to do now
From April 2027, eligible employees in Great Britain will have a day-one right to up to two weeks of unpaid statutory bereavement leave. The right covers specified close relationships and pregnancy loss before 24 weeks. The Employment Rights Act 2025 provides for the right; the government confirmed its intended operation on 22 September 2026. Regulations and guidance are still to come.
What the new right is expected to provide
- Up to two weeks of leave, based on the employee’s usual working pattern.
- A day-one right, with no qualifying period.
- Unpaid leave as the statutory minimum; employers may choose to pay.
- Leave within 56 weeks of the death or loss, including separate single days.
- No requirement to provide evidence for this statutory leave.
- Protection from detriment or dismissal for taking the leave.
Who is covered?
The confirmed relationships include a spouse, civil partner or partner, a parent, an adult child or a sibling. Step, half and adoptive relationships are included, as are equivalent parental relationships for people raised in kinship care or by foster carers. Pregnancy loss before 24 weeks is covered separately, including partners and intended parents in a surrogacy arrangement.
The new right is for Great Britain. Employment law in Northern Ireland is separate, so employers there should check current Northern Ireland guidance.
What remains in place?
Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay continues to apply to eligible parents when a child under 18 dies or after a stillbirth from 24 weeks. Reasonable time off for dependants also remains available for emergencies, including making funeral arrangements. Many employers already offer compassionate leave that goes beyond statutory rights.
Five steps to prepare
- Review your current bereavement and compassionate leave policies.
- Decide whether you will pay some or all of the new leave.
- Remove evidence requirements for the statutory entitlement.
- Brief managers on responding sensitively and applying the rules.
- Check HR and payroll systems can record separate days within the 56-week window.
Use the free policy generator to create a starting draft, or use the bereavement cost calculator with your organisation’s assumptions. Review the policy again when regulations and official guidance are published.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Read the government announcement and Acas guidance.