Details of the Parental Bereavement (Pay and Leave) Bill have been published before its second reading in Parliament.
The proposed legislation will give all employed parents two weeks' leave if they lose a child under 18. Those parents who have been continuously employed for 26 weeks will also have the right to statutory parental bereavement pay. Employers will be able to claim back most or all of the statutory pay from the Government, depending on their size.
Current rules allow parents "reasonable" time off to attend to care for dependants in an emergency, including making arrangements following the death of a dependant. However, there is no statutory right to take leave following the death of a child.
The Government hopes that the new legislation will come into force in 2020 and estimates that the annual cost of statutory payments under this legislation would be between £1.3m and £2m.
First published October 2017.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
