Enhanced Bereavement Leave Policy

In 2020, the ICCM undertook research into current practices within organisations for which death, dying, and bereavement were core or primary functions. The study examined how requests for bereavement leave were managed within these workplaces.

The research incorporated survey and interview contributions from a wide range of participants, including the NHS, the Ministry of Defence, small and large businesses, and organisations whose members were affiliated with bodies such as the ICCM, FBCA, NAFD and SAIF.

Key findings from this research included:

• A significant proportion of employees reported feeling uncomfortable requesting bereavement leave, believing they were expected to “be the strong ones.”
• Sick leave, annual leave, and “special” leave were frequently used in place of bereavement leave where organisational policies lacked dedicated bereavement provisions.
• Many supervisors and managers did not feel confident or comfortable in determining what bereavement leave they could authorise and expressed the need for a nationally set minimum standard, which they could then tailor to meet employees’ needs.
• Job titles or formal family classifications did not always reflect real relationships; for example, where a child had been raised by someone not legally recognised as “immediate family,” resulting in that person being denied the opportunity to mourn or grieve.
• Employees working in bereavement services, despite operating within a death-facing sector, were often not provided with basic bereavement leave following a personal loss, leading to unresolved grief and difficulties in subsequent years.

On 6 April 2020, Statutory Parental Bereavement Leave (SPBL) was introduced in England, Wales, and Scotland, with the Parental Bereavement (Leave and Pay) Act 2022 extending similar provisions to Northern Ireland shortly thereafter.

These statutory instruments established minimum entitlements for bereaved parents following the death of a child from 24 weeks’ gestation up to their 18th birthday. Key provisions included:

• An entitlement to two weeks of bereavement leave, taken either consecutively or in week-long blocks, at any point within 56 weeks of the child’s death.
• Eligibility criteria requiring:
  • At least 26 weeks of continuous service at the end of the week before the child’s death, and
  • Average earnings above the National Insurance lower earnings limit during the eight weeks preceding the week of the child’s death.
• Where these criteria are met, entitlement to up to two weeks’ Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay (SPBP), paid at the statutory rate or at 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower.

While SPBL represents an important step forward for bereaved parents, there remains scope to extend support—particularly for those experiencing loss before 24 weeks’ gestation and for anyone suffering bereavement within sectors where employees routinely provide care to grieving families.

In November 2025, the ICCM staff and Board of Directors therefore agreed to create and adopt a fully inclusive Bereavement Leave Policy alongside our own HR business partner, building on the foundations of the SPBL. This policy responds directly to concerns raised in earlier research, addresses gaps within existing SPBL provisions, and seeks to promote a culture of care within the organisation.

Key features of the ICCM Bereavement Leave Policy include:

• Bereavement leave available from the first day of employment.
• A minimum of two weeks of standalone bereavement leave, taken either as two consecutive weeks or as two separate one-week blocks.
• Flexibility to take bereavement leave at any point within 104 weeks of the death, enabling employees to observe anniversaries or personally significant dates.
• Applicability to the death of any person, regardless of age.
• Provisions for both immediate and extended family members.
• Discretionary provisions for additional significant relationships, including other family members and friends.