Parents in the UK have a right to two weeks’ statutory parental bereavement leave if they’re an employee, and this right applies to all employed parents irrespective of how long they have been with their employer (the leave is a ‘day one’ employment right).
Parental bereavement leave must be taken within 56 weeks of the date of the child’s death and can be taken at short notice. The two weeks’ leave can be taken either in one block of two weeks, or as two separate blocks of one week. If an employee loses more than one child, they can take a separate period of leave for each child.
Parents with at least 26 weeks’ continuous service with their employer and weekly average earnings over the lower earnings limit will also be entitled to Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay (SPBP), paid at the statutory rate.