Bereavement policy template

A template to help employers create a bereavement policy, covering leave, pay and support after a death. Free to use.

You can adapt this template to suit your organisation's needs.

The law on bereavement leave applies to those with the legal status of employee if:

• a 'dependant' dies
• their child is stillborn or dies under the age of 18

A bereavement policy can cover those with the legal status of both employee and worker. This template refers to workers throughout. When adapting this template, you should make it clear who it applies to. You should do this in consultation with either:

• any recognised trade unions
• other employee representatives, where there's no trade union

You might choose to cover bereavement in an existing policy, for example an absence policy. You can use this template to check what to include.

Find out more about:

• the benefits of a bereavement policy
• leave and pay when someone dies

Documents

• Download this template in Microsoft Word format (DOCX, 26 KB)
• Download this template in Open Document format (ODT, 26 KB)

You can also copy and paste the template text below into an email or document.

If you need the template in a different format, email digital@acas.org.uk.

Template text – bereavement policy template

[Name of organisation] acknowledges the personal nature of bereavement and grief. We're committed to supporting workers in practical and reasonable ways.

Paid bereavement leave

Bereavement leave is paid leave that allows a worker time off to deal with their personal grief and related practical arrangements. This is mainly used when a family member dies, but it's not limited to that.

[Name of organisation] acknowledges that bereavement affects everyone differently. The guidelines below are intended to show the minimum paid leave a worker is entitled to in different circumstances.

[Name of organisation] acknowledges that not all [employees/workers] will need to take the full allowance, and some [employees/workers] will need additional time off. It will depend on their relationship with the person who has died and the circumstances of the death.

Additional time off can include [insert other time off given, for example annual leave]. [Employees/workers] should check the organisation's policies on [insert links to other relevant policies your organisation has].
 

If a dependant dies

[Unpaid time off for dependants is a statutory right for anyone with the legal status of employee. You can give someone who does not have the legal status of employee time off but you do not have to. You can decide whether to pay someone for this time off.]

[Employees/workers] can take a reasonable amount of time off if a dependant dies. 

[Optional] [Insert number] working days of leave will be paid after the death of a dependant.

A dependant is a:

• husband, wife, partner or civil partner (including same sex partners)
• child*
• parent
• person who lives in the [employee's/worker's] household (not tenants, lodgers or employees)
• person who would rely on the [employee/worker] for help in the event of an accident, illness or injury, such as an elderly neighbour

*Child includes children the [employee/worker] is the adoptive parent, legal guardian or carer for. The [employee/worker] may be entitled to additional leave called parental bereavement leave following: 

• the death of a child under the age of 18
• the death of a baby who only lives for a short time after birth – this can be at any stage of pregnancy
• a stillbirth after 24 weeks' pregnancy
• an abortion after 24 weeks – this can happen in limited circumstances if the mother's life is at risk or the baby would be born with a severe disability

[Optional] If someone dies who's not a dependant

[Insert number] working days of [paid/unpaid] leave may be granted if someone dies who is not a child or dependant. This includes when a worker is responsible for funeral arrangements or has to travel abroad for a funeral.

Giving notice for bereavement leave

A worker should notify their manager of their need to take leave as soon as possible or, at the latest, on the first day of absence. A worker's next of kin or family member can notify the worker's manager on their behalf.

In exceptional circumstances, applications for leave will be considered after the first day of absence. Managers have the right to exercise discretion in exceptional circumstances.

Leave days do not have to be taken consecutively.

Additional time off

If someone needs more time off, they should talk with their manager about taking other types of leave.

Annual leave

A worker will be able to take annual leave at short notice to supplement their bereavement leave.

A worker who experiences a bereavement while on annual leave can convert their annual leave into bereavement leave and take their annual leave at a future date.

Anyone taking annual leave will get their usual holiday pay.

Sick leave

After a bereavement, a worker might struggle with their physical or mental health. Workers can take sick leave if they are too unwell to work. Anyone taking sick leave will get their usual sick pay.

[Optional] Unpaid leave

Unpaid leave on compassionate grounds up to a maximum of [insert period of time] may be granted after bereavement. A worker must consult with their manager before starting unpaid leave.

Parental bereavement leave

[This is a statutory right for anyone with the legal status of employee. You can give someone who does not have the legal status of employee bereavement leave but you do not have to.]

[Employees/Workers] are entitled to 2 weeks of statutory parental bereavement leave if their child:

• dies under the age of 18
• lives for only a short time after birth – this can be at any stage of pregnancy
• is stillborn after 24 weeks of pregnancy

[Employees/Workers] are also entitled to statutory parental bereavement leave if they have had an abortion after 24 weeks.

In very limited circumstances an abortion can take place after 24 weeks. This is if the mother's life is at risk or the baby would be born with a severe disability.

[Employees/Workers] can claim this leave if they are the:

• birth parent
• natural parent (the person who gave birth to the child who has since been adopted, but has a court order to allow them to continue having access to the child)
• adoptive parent, if the child was living with them
• person who lived with the child and had responsibility for them, for at least 4 weeks before they died
• 'intended parent' – due to become the legal parent through surrogacy
• partner of the child's parent, if they live with the child and the child's parent in an enduring family relationship

Parental bereavement leave can be used within 56 weeks of the date of the death or stillbirth. It can be taken as either:

• 2 consecutive weeks
• 2 separate weeks
• 1 week only

In order to take parental bereavement leave, the [employee/worker] should tell their manager:

• when they want their parental bereavement leave to start
• whether they want to take 1 or 2 weeks' leave
• the date of their child's death

To take or cancel parental bereavement leave, the [employee/worker] should also give their manager the correct notice:

• if within 8 weeks of the death or stillbirth – notice must be given before the [employee/worker] would usually start work on the first day of leave
• if more than 8 weeks after the death or stillbirth – notice must be given at least 1 week before the start of the planned leave

Parental bereavement pay

[Anyone taking statutory parental bereavement leave is eligible for statutory bereavement pay. Someone who is not eligible for parental bereavement leave might still be eligible for parental bereavement pay. Find out about eligibility for parental bereavement pay]

If someone has been with [name of organisation] for at least 26 weeks, they will be entitled to statutory parental bereavement pay if all of the following apply:

• their child dies under the age of 18 or is stillborn after 24 weeks of pregnancy
• they were employed when their child died
• they earn on average at least the lower earnings limit set by the government

To enable [name of organisation] to pay someone for this time off, they must give notice in writing for statutory parental bereavement pay. They must give notice within 28 days of taking statutory parental bereavement leave, starting from the first day of the week they're claiming the payment for.

The notice should state they are entitled to statutory parental bereavement pay and include:

• their name
• the start and end dates of the leave they want to claim the pay for
• the date of their child's death
• their relationship with the child

[Optional if you want to offer more than the statutory amount] Enhanced parental bereavement leave and pay

On top of the 2 weeks of statutory parental bereavement leave and pay for parents, [name of organisation] will grant [employees/workers] additional time off and pay.

[Name of organisation] will grant [employees/workers] a total of [insert number more than 2] weeks' paid leave. This is paid at [insert pay amount above Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay, for example the employee's usual rate of pay].

Bereaved partner's paternity leave

[Bereaved partner's paternity leave is a statutory right for anyone with the legal status of employee. They can take up to 52 weeks of unpaid leave. You can give someone who does not have the legal status of employee bereaved partner's paternity leave but you do not have to.]

[Insert number] working days of [paid/unpaid] leave will be granted in the event of the death of a partner.

This leave can be used when [an employee's/a worker's] partner dies within the first year of their child's life or adoption.

The person who died must be either:

• the mother or parent who gave birth
• the primary adopter
• an intended parent having a baby through surrogacy

The father or partner must have responsibility for bringing up the child.

They must be at least one of the following:

• the child's father
• married to, the civil partner or partner of the mother or parent who gave birth
• married to, the civil partner or partner of the primary adopter

This includes same-sex partners.

To enable [name of organisation] to give the [employee/worker] this time off, the [employee/worker] should tell their manager as soon as they can.

If it's less than 8 weeks since their partner died

If it's less than 8 weeks since the [employee's/worker's] partner died:

• the leave can start straight away if needed
• they can tell their manager verbally or in writing, for example a letter or email
• they must tell their manager before they're due to start work that day

If the notice is given verbally, their manager will confirm this in writing. For example, in a letter or email.

If it's more than 8 weeks since their partner died

If it's more than 8 weeks since the [employee's/worker's] partner died:

• they must give at least 1 week's notice before they start the leave
• they must tell their manager in writing, for example a letter or email

[Optional] Miscarriage leave

[Miscarriage leave is not a statutory right but is considered good practice.]

If a worker or their partner has a miscarriage in the first 24 weeks of pregnancy, [name of organisation] recognises they are likely to consider this a bereavement.

In these circumstances, [name of organisation] provides [insert number] days of leave. This time off will be [paid/unpaid]. This will be paid at [insert how much the employee will be paid, for example their usual rate of pay].

Up to 2 weeks of sickness absence related to a miscarriage will be recorded as 'pregnancy related sickness'. This absence will be kept separate to other types of sickness and [name of organisation] will not count these absences towards any review or trigger points set out in the organisation's absence policy.

Miscarriage that happens at work

[Name of organisation] understands it can be a very distressing time if a miscarriage happens at work.

Anyone who needs assistance, for example help contacting a partner or family member, or needs immediate medical help such as a first aider, can contact one of the following: [insert details of, for example, first aiders, manager, HR, health and safety representative].

If someone needs to leave the premises they should report a sickness absence to their manager. They do not have to report the exact reasons for their sickness absence if they do not feel comfortable to. [Insert further employee assistance details if available].

[Optional] Return to work

[Phased return is not a statutory right but is considered good practice.]

In certain circumstances a full return to work may not be possible straight after a bereavement. For example: 

• when someone's grief is likely to impact on their ability to perform their role
• where new childcare arrangements have to be made
• when someone now has responsibility for the care of an elderly parent

In such instances [name of organisation] will allow a phased return to work on a part-time or reduced hours basis where this is practical. Alternative duties may also be considered. Any such arrangement would need to be agreed in advance by the manager. It would be subject to an agreed maximum number of days and would be managed in line with [name of organisation]'s flexible working or part-time working policy.

Support for workers

[Not every organisation will have HR or access to counselling. But considering how you might support workers emotionally is good practice.]

[Name of organisation] acknowledges that bereavement leave is intended to support workers in the immediate period after a death. However, the process of grief may take a significant time and will be personal to each individual.

Someone might be concerned that the grieving process is impacting their work performance. They should discuss this in confidence with either their manager or HR. This is to ensure that:

• any adjustments that are needed are discussed and put in place
• they are supported in their return to the full range of duties and responsibilities that they had before the bereavement

[Name of organisation] recognises that people may not need counselling to cope effectively with their grief. However, for workers wishing to seek professional help in coming to terms with a death, the organisation will cover the cost of up to [insert number] counselling sessions with an independent counselling practice. This is a confidential service and can be accessed [insert details of how this can be accessed, for example through the employee assistance programme (EAP) or HR].

Health and safety

Bereavement can have an impact on concentration, sleep and decision making. The health and safety risk assessment of the workplace will include consideration of the impact of bereavement on workers, their duties and responsibilities, and the context in which they are working. For example, if they operate heavy machinery.

Anyone who is concerned about their ability to do their work safely in the weeks following a bereavement must discuss this with their manager.

[Optional] [Name of organisation] reserves the right to request an employee to meet with [the organisation's/their] doctor before returning to full duties.

Culture and diversity

[Name of organisation] recognises that different cultures respond to death in significantly different ways.

Managers will check whether the worker's religion, belief or culture requires them to observe any particular practices or make special arrangements which would require them being off work at a particular time. Workers should not assume that their manager is aware of these requirements. They should tell their manager as soon as possible.

Managers who are unsure of how to support a bereaved worker from a different culture should ask them.