Your current rights to time off after a death, including time off for dependants, parental bereavement leave, employer compassionate leave, pay rules, and what to do if your employer refuses.
This guide is part of ProbateHelp's First Steps guide cluster.
This guide explains bereavement leave and time off work after a death, including the difference between employer policies, statutory parental bereavement leave and unpaid time off for dependants.
It connects employment leave questions with the first practical steps after a death, benefits after bereavement, funeral planning and the documents families may need to keep organised.
If a dependant died, the right is to a reasonable amount of time needed for the death and its immediate practical consequences, not a fixed number of days. If an eligible employee's child under 18 died, the statutory parental bereavement entitlement is two weeks within the permitted 56-week window and subject to the notice rules; an employer policy cannot reduce it. Other leave may depend on the employer's policy.
If the person who died was a dependant, the statutory right to reasonable time off applies regardless of whether the employer's compassionate-leave policy lists that relationship. If they were not a dependant, ask what discretionary compassionate, annual or unpaid leave is available.
There is no specific statutory bereavement-leave right solely because the person was a friend or because a pet died. A friend may nevertheless be a dependant if they reasonably relied on you for assistance in a way covered by the dependant-leave rules. Otherwise check the employer's compassionate, annual or unpaid-leave policy. The government has announced wider unpaid bereavement leave in Great Britain from April 2027, covering specified family relationships; it is not yet in force and the implementing rules must be checked.
Self-employed people do not have statutory employment leave rights. Acas confirms that workers who pay tax through Self Assessment are not eligible for Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay, as statutory pay is restricted to eligible employees. Check your contracts, insurance cover and client deadlines, and speak to Citizens Advice if the loss affects your income.
If you are still within your statutory leave entitlement, your employer cannot require you to return early. If your leave entitlement has ended, your employer can ask you to return, but you have options: you can request annual leave, ask for unpaid leave, or speak to your GP about a fit note if grief is affecting your health. If you feel you are being treated unfairly, contact Acas for advice.