Bereavement leave entitlement is an additional time off that your employees can take when someone close to them passes away.

Although there is no statutory bereavement leave in the UK, employees can take a “reasonable” number of days off to care for dependants in the case of an emergency, this also includes the death of a dependant. However, it doesn’t cover time off to grieve. Employment Rights Act 1996 defines a dependant as a spouse, partner, child, parent, or individual that your employee provides care for.

There’s no set number of days that you must give your staff as part of bereavement leave entitlement in the UK, though it is suggested to give a minimum of two days off. Many organisations, however, opt for three to five unpaid days for bereavement leave.

It’s important, though difficult, to find the right balance. It may seem like the “right thing to do” is to give bereaved employees as much time off as you can, but this comes with risks. Time away from work, especially if they live alone, can cause feelings of loneliness and isolation making it harder for them to return to work. In turn, this increases the likelihood that they’ll take sick leave and be absent from work for longer, increasing their feelings of isolation in an ever downward spiral. Stay in contact with a bereaved employee, don’t rush them back to work before they’re ready and adjust your expectations when they do return, their mind will likely be somewhere else for a while.