Employer guide · Reviewed 2 November 2026
Bereavement leave notice, timing and the 56-week window
The new Great Britain bereavement leave right is expected to begin in April 2027. The government’s consultation response confirms a 56-week window and leave that can be split into separate days. Regulations and official guidance are still to come.
The 56-week window
Employees will be able to take leave within 56 weeks of the death or pregnancy loss. Where they learn about the death later, the window is expected to start from the date they learn of it.
A block or separate days
Up to two weeks of leave can be taken together or as individual days within the window, based on the employee’s usual working pattern. This can give employees flexibility around the immediate days after a loss, a funeral or a difficult date later on.
How much notice is expected?
For leave taken during the first eight weeks, notice can be given as soon as reasonably practicable, including on the day. After the first eight weeks, the announced rule is one week’s notice. The government says any form of notice is acceptable and there is no evidence requirement for this statutory leave.
What managers can do
- Respond to the employee first; handle administration sensitively afterward.
- Record bereavement leave separately from sickness and annual leave.
- Do not ask for proof of the statutory entitlement.
- Help the team plan work without placing pressure on the bereaved employee.
- Check in before a return or a difficult date, while respecting the employee’s preferences.
Brief managers using your own policy and revisit it when regulations and guidance are published. The free policy generator can help document the rules. This guide is general information, not legal advice. Read the government announcement.