The death of a child is truly traumatic for any parent and the effects can be devastating and long lasting. Incredibly, there is currently no legal requirement for employers to give parents leave after they have lost a child.
Grief following the loss of a child is an extremely personal issue, which people deal with in different ways and managing that grief in the workplace can also be extremely difficult for employers. As well as needing to take time off work, bereaved parents may find their performance is affected when they return, or they may be temporarily unable to perform their role.
The Parental Bereavement (Leave and Pay) Bill, which passed it’s first reading in the House of Commons back in July 2017 would provide statutory entitlement for leave for parents who have lost a child under the age of 18. Subject to Parliamentary approval, new regulations will be introduced creating a legal requirement for all employers to grant a period of a minimum of 2 weeks of Parental Bereavement Leave, with pay (if eligible) at the statutory flat rate funded by the Government.
As a Funeral Director, we are in full support of statutory entitlement to leave, although we feel that 2 weeks is still not long enough, in recognition of the fact that most families need more time than this. In most situations following the death of a child, 2 weeks will not give the time needed to arrange a personal and fitting funeral with the importance of having time to make decisions that cannot be rushed, never mind having subsequent and sufficient time to grieve.
No bereaved parent should be put in the difficult position of desperately needing time away from work to grieve but instead having their request for time off rejected by their employer - Andrew Griffiths MP Minister for Small Business, Consumers & Corporate Responsibility
It is widely recognised that many employers do act with the compassion and sensitivity needed at such a difficult time and go above and beyond what the bill requires and will provide, but there are many examples of employers who do not demonstrate the appropriate level of understanding. The parental leave bill is a starting point which will, to an extent, address this problem, giving those parents the opportunity to grieve without feeling the pressure of having to be at work at such a challenging and heartbreaking time[1]
Where things stand...
On June 29th 2018 the Bill passed it’s second reading in the House of Lords and will now move on to the Committee Stage, a line by line examination of the bill which is due to be scheduled.
You can keep up to date with the progress of the Bill at:
Parental Bereavement (Leave and Pay) Bill 2017-19 Progress - https://services.parliament.uk/bills/2017-19/parentalbereavementleaveandpay.html
SOURCES
BBC News Website
Parental Bereavement (Leave and Pay) Bill 2017-19 Progress - https://services.parliament.uk/bills/2017-19/parentalbereavementleaveandpay.html
[1] https://beisgovuk.citizenspace.com/lm/consultation-on-parental-bereavement-leave-and-pay/supporting_documents/Bereavement%20Leave%20Consultation.pdf