New right to bereavement leave passed by Parliament
The Employment Rights Bill is now set to become law, having completed all its stages in Parliament.
New rights for workers
The Bill will introduce new rights for workers, including on sick leave, parental leave and unfair dismissal.
Importantly, the Bill will also strengthen bereavement leave provisions, something we've been saying is needed for years.
One area of the Bill we’ve been keeping an eye on is the right given to all employees for unpaid bereavement leave, from day one of employment.
The Government is currently consulting on what this will look like, including who is eligible and when and how it can be taken. We’ve been gathering feedback from our community to shape our response to the consultation.
If you’d like to share your views directly with the Government, there’s still time to respond.
Other key points in the Bill include:
- Right to statutory sick pay from day one
- Paternity and parental leave from day one
- Protection from unfair dismissal after six months of employment.
The Bill is expected to receive Royal Assent (the formal stage when a Bill becomes law) this week. Following this, most of the changes will be put into place over the course of 2026.
More new and information
