Two sets of Regulations that will bring in the right to paid parental bereavement leave have been laid before Parliament.
The Parental Bereavement leave Regulations 2020 will introduce the right to leave, while the Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay (General) Regulations 2020 will govern the right to pay during such leave. The new right comes in on 6 April 2020.
The new right to leave will mean that an employee who loses a child under the age of 18, or suffers a stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy, will be entitled to two weeks' statutory leave to be taken in one block or as two separate blocks of a week. The leave will be paid for employees who have at least 26 weeks' service and who meet minimum earnings criteria. Statutory parental bereavement pay will be paid at the same rate as statutory paternity pay (£151.20 per week from April, or 90% of weekly earnings if lower).
