Paternity Leave and Bereavement

The Paternity Leave (Bereavement) Act 2024 has been published and will come into force in the future. This Act will give new rights to fathers or partners when a child's mother dies.

Currently, paternity leave only lasts for a maximum of two weeks, and bereaved partners can only take statutory paternity leave if they satisfy minimum service requirements.

This Act will mean that bereaved partners will automatically get the right to day-one paternity leave if the mother, or a person with whom a child is placed or expected to be placed for adoption, dies.

The Act will also remove the condition that prevents bereaved partners who have already taken shared parental leave from taking paternity leave. In cases where the mother and child both die, bereaved partners will still be able to take this leave.

Although this Act has not come into force yet, it is a good idea to review your policies and procedures related to paternity leave and bereavement.

For further HR advice or guidance in relation to the topic above, get in touch with the Lansbury HR Consultants. We are here to support businesses nationally and locally in Burton-on-Trent, Swadlincote, and Derby.