Unpaid Bereavement Leave: What the UK Government's Announcement Means for Employers and Workers

In a major policy update coming in April 2027, new UK legislation will give employees the statutory right to two weeks of unpaid leave following the loss of an immediate family member or a pregnancy loss prior to 24 weeks.

What Unpaid Leave is Allowed?

Under the new statutory framework, eligible workers are entitled to up to two weeks of unpaid leave. Beyond this, employers can offer paid compassionate leave or extended time off as part of their workplace benefits.

Employees do not need to take the leave in a single continuous block. Leave can be taken within a 56-week window following the date of the loss or when the employee learned of the loss.

Who is Eligible?

The entitlement applies from the first day of employment, with no minimum service required.

For pregnancy loss before 24 weeks, the right extends to both the pregnant individual and their partner, acknowledging the shared impact of early pregnancy loss. All types of pregnancy loss, including terminations and IVF embryo transfer loss, are eligible.

In the case of a loss in the immediate family, the government have listed a spouse/partner, parent, adult child, or sibling (including step, adoptive, kinship, and foster relationships). Parental bereavement following the death of a child under 18 or a stillbirth after 24 weeks continues to be covered under existing Statutory Parental Bereavement Leave rules.

What Notice is Needed to Take Unpaid Bereavement Leave?

The government has introduced flexible notification rules designed to accommodate emergency situations. If leave is taken within the first 8 weeks following the loss, employees are not required to give formal advance notice. Notice can be provided on the day of leave or as soon as reasonably practical.

If an employee chooses to take leave later in the 56-week window (for example, around an anniversary or expected due date), one week’s notice should be provided to the employer.

Notice can be given informally using any standard workplace communication tool.

What Evidence is Required for Unpaid Bereavement Leave?

To minimise emotional burden employees are not required to provide medical proof or any formal evidence.

Eliminating the evidence requirement is especially crucial in cases of early pregnancy loss, where formal documentation may not exist and requiring proof could cause unnecessary distress.

Employers may only ask for basic self-declaration details necessary for HR and payroll records, such as the date of absence and confirmation that the absence relates to a qualifying statutory bereavement.

Preparing for April 2027

Employers should use the transition period before April 2027 to review their compassionate leave and absence management policies. Ensuring line managers understand that no evidence needs to be shown, and that flexible notice should be honoured, will help organisations support grieving staff compassionately and stay fully compliant. Further detail can be found here - Leave for bereavement including pregnancy loss.

Managing unpaid leave in StaffSavvy 

It’s easy to add a period of unpaid leave for employees in StaffSavvy. If the employee has holiday enabled and they are taking unpaid leave, we call this a 'Planned Absence' in the system. An employee can request their own planned absence or a manager can add it to the system for them. If the employee doesn’t have holiday enabled, all their requests will be 'time off' and unpaid. So those employees can put in a time off request as normal.