New rights for family bereavement and pregnancy loss introduced by government

Kinship carers will also get new bereavement leave protection

The entitlement was introduced by the Employment Rights Act, which became law in December 2025, and will allow employees to take up to two weeks of leave from their first day in a job. 

The time can be split up and used within 56 weeks of the loss.

The protection will cover spouses, partners, parents, adult children and siblings, while also recognising step and half-relatives. 

Adoptive, foster and kinship relationships will be included too, meaning people caring for children as relatives or family friends will also have the same legal protection when they suffer a bereavement.

Pregnancy loss will also be covered, with women and their partners able to take leave following a miscarriage, termination or unsuccessful IVF embryo transfer. 

The entitlement can also apply to the other biological parent and intended parents in a surrogacy arrangement.

Charities say unpaid bereavement leave does not go far enough

The new entitlement marks a significant expansion of the protection available to bereaved workers.

Until now, statutory leave was only available to parents who lost a child under 18 or experienced a stillbirth from 24 weeks.

Kate Dearden, the Minister for the Future of Work, said the changes should give people time to grieve without having to argue with their employer for time away from work.

"These changes back people going through some of the hardest moments of life, whoever they are and wherever they work."

The inclusion of pregnancy loss has also been welcomed by Miscarriage UK, which described it as “an important step” towards recognising pregnancy loss as a bereavement.

Its chief executive, Vicki Robinson, said she hoped the new legal minimum would encourage employers to provide additional support.

However, the charity is calling for bereavement leave to be paid. Sue Ryder has also backed paid leave, highlighting the financial strain that losing a loved one can place on families.