Paid leave for grieving parents may become compulsory
BDB Pitmans
A Parliamentary Bill is proposing to legislate for two weeks’ paid bereavement leave for parents who lose a child under the age of 18.
The Bill, if enacted, will amend the Employment Rights Act 1996 (along with relevant sections of other Acts). It had its second reading and was debated on 20 October 2017 in the House of Commons. A vote will then be cast as to whether the Bill should progress to the Committee stage.
If the Bill is successful it will introduce legal obligations on employers to provide employees with two weeks of paid leave in the instance that they are parents and lose a child under 18 years old. This is to provide time and support to those who are in need of it and appears to have positive support from many. Currently, there is no legal obligation to provide paid leave to parents in these situations. We will keep you updated on the Bill’s progress.
You can read the Bill here.
