The petition of residents of the constituency of North Ayrshire and Arran,

Declares that, given the huge toll of the coronavirus pandemic, there is an urgent need to extend statutory paid bereavement leave to all employees upon the loss of a close family member or partner; further declares that the welcome introduction of paid bereavement leave for parents on the loss of a child up to the age of 18 years-old did not go far enough; notes that there is recent research which finds that grief experienced by employees who have lost a loved one costs the UK economy £23 billion per year, and costs the Treasury nearly £8 billion per year; further declares that many employers are supportive and understanding when an employee suffers a close bereavement, but without any statutory rights for employees to paid bereavement leave, the time and space to grieve for many people is determined by the goodwill of their employer; further that the discretionary nature of current arrangements means potentially thousands of employees will be unable to take leave without fearing that it could undermine their job security; further that it is concerning that bereaved people in low paid jobs are far less likely to receive paid time off or any compassionate leave at all; further that these people are at greater risk of losing their job for taking time off, and that it is grossly unfair for them to struggle with the immediate financial impact of bereavement while experiencing increasing pressure and financial stress; further that bereavement can trigger mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorders, as well as being linked to an increased likelihood of heart attacks, diabetes and increased mortality; and further that while bereavement is a fact of life, if a fraction of the costs associated with it could be mitigated with better support at the right time, we could boost our economy and have a healthier society with a greater sense of wellbeing at its heart.

The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the UK Government to extend the right to statutory paid bereavement leave to all employees who lose a close family member or partner as a matter of urgency.—[Presented by Patricia Gibson, Official Report, 2 February 2021; Vol. 688, c. 924.]

[P002647]

Observations from the Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Paul Scully):

The Government recognise that grief affects all family members and losing a loved one is incredibly difficult.

In recognition of the particular challenges associated with the death of a child, we have legislated to give parents who are in this devasting position a statutory right to parental bereavement leave and pay. The entitlement came into effect in April 2020. It gives employees who lose a child under the age of 18 or who suffer a stillbirth a “day 1” right to take up to two weeks off work in the 56 weeks following the death of their child. Parents who have 26 weeks continuous service may also qualify for statutory parental bereavement pay.

Whilst there is no statutory entitlement to bereavement leave for other family members, the law is clear that the entitlement to emergency time off for dependants enables individuals to take reasonable time off for practical purposes—including registering a death and making funeral arrangements. Employees are also entitled to 5.6 weeks of annual leave per year.

The Government recognise, of course, that these entitlements do not constitute a legal entitlement to statutory time off to grieve. Grief is an extremely personal issue which affects people in very different ways and at different times. The Government believe that individuals are best placed to understand their own specific needs, and that good employers will respond to requests made by their employees in the most appropriate way. We expect employers to be sympathetic to individual circumstances and to respond in a sensitive way.

By introducing a day 1 right to two weeks of paid leave for parents to grieve, the UK is already going much further than any other country in the world. As such, the Government have no plans to extend entitlement to bereavement leave and pay at this time.

Whilst the new entitlement to parental bereavement leave and pay is targeted specifically towards parents who lose a child, it sends a message to all employers that they should act compassionately and supportively when dealing with all bereavements in the workplace.

The Government are committed to giving employers the tools and support that they need to do this and to deal with all aspects of their relationships with their employees. The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) has published guidance for employers on dealing with bereavement at work. Their Managing Bereavement in the Workplace—a good practice guide, developed in conjunction with the charity Cruse Bereavement Care—is available on the Acas website.