Preloaded UK policy

Bereavement & Compassionate Leave Policy template

Paid compassionate leave, statutory parental bereavement leave (2 weeks) and return to work support.

Legal basis
  • Parental Bereavement (Leave and Pay) Act 2018
  • Parental Bereavement Leave Regulations 2020
Last reviewed April 2025. Guidance, not legal advice.

What the policy covers

  1. 1. POLICY STATEMENT
    your company recognises the profound impact of bereavement.
  2. 2. STATUTORY PARENTAL BEREAVEMENT LEAVE
    All employees are entitled to two weeks' paid statutory parental bereavement leave following the death of a child under 18, or a stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy.
  3. 3. COMPANY COMPASSIONATE LEAVE
    There is no statutory right to paid bereavement leave for the death of an adult.
  4. 4. FURTHER ABSENCE
    Where an employee needs more time off than provided above, they may request:
  5. 5. RETURN TO WORK
    Managers will conduct a sensitive return-to-work discussion with any employee returning after bereavement leave.

Who needs it

Any UK employer who wants absence handled the same way every time, and to be seen to take health seriously.

Questions people ask

Is a bereavement & compassionate leave policy a legal requirement?

It rests on Parental Bereavement (Leave and Pay) Act 2018 and Parental Bereavement Leave Regulations 2020. Some policies must be written down once a business reaches a certain size or does certain work; others are simply how a tribunal, an inspector or a client's auditor expects to see that you have thought about it. A clear, dated, signed policy is the evidence either way. Guidance, not legal advice.

Can I change it to suit how we work?

Yes. Inside Work-Lynx it is a starting point: put your company name in, adjust the arrangements to what you actually do, set the review date and publish it. Staff read and acknowledge it on their phones, and you can see who has not.

Is it up to date?

Last reviewed April 2025. The pack is updated when the law moves, and every policy carries a review date so it does not quietly go stale.

How do I get it?

It is preloaded in Work-Lynx with the other 48 UK policies. Work-Lynx is £2.50 a month plus £1 per employee, 14 days free, no card, and what you see on the pricing page is the bill.

Who is it for?

Any UK employer who wants absence handled the same way every time, and to be seen to take health seriously.

All 49 UK policies, £2.50 a month

This policy and 48 others are already in Work-Lynx, alongside GPS clock-in, rotas, timesheets, leave and Employ AI for UK employment law. £2.50 base plus £1 per employee a month. 14 days free, no card, no sales call.

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