Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay

Please note: If an employee’s child has died or was stillborn before 6 April 2026, you should follow the legislative guidance for Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay - claims before 6 April 2026.

An employee can take 2 weeks’ leave from the first day of their employment for each child who has died or was stillborn, or where they or their partner has experienced a miscarriage.

They can choose to take:

• 2 weeks together
• 2 separate weeks of leave
• only one week of leave

The leave:

• can start on or after the date of the death, stillbirth or miscarriage
• must finish within 56 weeks of the date of the death, stillbirth or miscarriage

Taking leave with other types of statutory leave

If the employee was on another type of statutory leave when the death or stillbirth happened, or when the woman who experienced the miscarriage became aware of it, Parental Bereavement Leave must start after that other leave has ended. This includes whether the statutory leave is for another child.

If an employee’s Parental Bereavement Leave is interrupted by the start of another type of statutory leave, they can take their remaining entitlement to Parental Bereavement Leave after that other leave has ended.

The remaining Parental Bereavement Leave must still be taken within 56 weeks of the date of death, stillbirth or miscarriage.

Parental Bereavement Leave can be taken between blocks of shared parental leave that had already been booked when the child died or when the woman became aware of the miscarriage, even if the shared parental leave is for another child.