Entitlement

3 days paid leave may be granted to members of staff who have experienced the death of an immediate family member.

Up to 5 days paid leave may be granted where the member of staff has responsibility for organising funeral arrangements.

Staff needing only to attend the funeral of a relative or close friend will normally be allowed reasonable time-off with pay, up to a maximum of one day, by arrangement with their Head of Department.

Entitlement to paid annual leave will not be affected by the granting of leave in accordance with the above guidance.

Bereavement Leave should be recorded in Oracle.

Support

Line managers should explore through open and sensitive conversations what extra support would be helpful to affected employees. Be mindful that different cultures respond to death in significantly different ways. Line managers should check whether the employee’s religion or culture requires them to observe any particular practices or make special arrangements.

The line manager should ask their employee what, if anything, they would like their work colleagues to know about the bereavement and explore the following sources of support available to them:

• Occupational Health and Counselling Service
• Flexible working for a temporary period
• Employee Assistance Programme
• ACAS guidance on time off for bereavement
• Bereavement UK
• Child Bereavement UK
• Cruse
• Dying Matters
• National Bereavement Alliance
• Sands (Stillbirth & neonatal death charity)

Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay Policy

Please click here for the policy (live from 6 April 2020)