PARENTAL BEREAVEMENT POLICY–ADOPTED 30/03/2022
Parental Bereavement Policy
Contents
Changing Parental Bereavement periods. 1
Parental Bereavement Leave Pay. 2
Terms and conditions during Parental Bereavement Leave. 2
Returning to work following Parental Bereavement Leave. 2
General Principles
1.1 This policy outlines the statutory rights and the Council’s commitment to support bereaved Parents following the devastating events of employees suffering the loss of a child under the age of 18 on or after 6th April 2020 or Parents who suffer a stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy after this date.
Eligibility
2.1 Employees do not require a set length of service before being the right to take time off applies under this policy. Employees must:
- Be the parent or partner of the parent, whose child has passed away
- This policy applies if you have parental responsibility for the child including adoptive parents.
2.2 If you have suffered a bereavement and you unsure as to whether you are entitled to Parental Bereavement leave, please contact your Manager for clarification.
Parental Bereavement Leave
3.1 Employees are entitled to take up to two weeks Parental Bereavement Leave. This should be taken in week blocks and can either be taken in two separate blocks of one week or a single block of two weeks.
3.2 The leave can be taken at a time(s) chosen by the Employee, however this leave should be taken within the 56 weeks after the bereavement.
3.3 If you have suffered the loss of more than one child, you are entitled to separate periods of bereavement leave for each child who has passed away.
Notice
4.1 For bereavement leave within the first 56 days of the bereavement, this can be taken straight away with no requirement of notice being required.
4.2 You are asked to let your Manager know, by no later than your normal start time on that day if you are taking Parental Bereavement leave.
4.3 To take bereavement leave, after the first 56 days following the bereavement, you are asked to give the Council one week’s notice of your intention to take the leave.
Changing Parental Bereavement periods
5.1 Planned periods of leave can be cancelled and rearranged for a different time (within 56 weeks of the bereavement). Where your planned leave was due to begin within the 56 days after the bereavement, you are asked to contact your Manager to advise you no longer wish to take the leave at that time, before your normal start time on the first day of planned leave
5.2 Where you planned leave was due to begin more than 56 days after your bereavement, you are asked to give your Manager one weeks notice that you wish to cancel or re-arrange this leave.
Parental Bereavement Leave Pay
6.1 In order to qualify for statutory Parental Bereavement Leave pay you must have been continuously employed by the Council for 26 weeks before the week in which your child passed away and still be employed by the Council at the time of the bereavement.
6.2 Should you be unsure as to whether you qualify for Statutory Parental Bereavement Leave pay, you are asked to contact your Manager who will be able to assist.
6.3 Statutory Parental Bereavement Leave is payable at the prescribed rate set by the government for the relevant tax year, or at 90% of your average weekly earnings, whichever figure is lower.
Terms and conditions during Parental Bereavement Leave
7.1 All the terms and conditions of your employment remain in force during periods of Parental Bereavement Leave, except for pay. During this period your normal pay will replaced by Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay. You will continue to accrue holiday entitlement and Pension benefits shall continue.
Returning to work following Parental Bereavement Leave
8.1 When you return to work after some time on parental bereavement leave, you generally have the right to return to the same job.
8.2 However, a slightly different rule applies if you return from time on bereavement leave that follows on immediately from some maternity, adoption, paternity leave or shared parental leave (taken in relation to the child who has passed away), and your total time on leave is more than 26 weeks.
8.3 In these circumstances, you have the right to return to the same job, unless this is not reasonably practical – in which case you have the right to return to a suitable and appropriate job on the same terms and conditions.
8.4 This rule also applies if your leave includes more than four weeks of ordinary parental leave (taken in relation to any child), regardless of the total length of the leave.
8.5 If you are taking parental bereavement leave, but are unsure where you stand on your return, please contact your manager for clarification.