• Swindon & Wiltshire Professional services
• Wednesday October 7 2026

HR consultancy urges action on new bereavement rights

Businesses across Wiltshire are being encouraged to review their HR policies ahead of new statutory day-one bereavement leave rights coming into force in April 2027.

The upcoming rules introduce a day-one statutory right to two weeks’ unpaid bereavement leave for employees following the death of a close family member – such as a partner, parent or child – as well as extending the right to include pre-24-week pregnancy losses for parents and partners.

While the new rules are a positive step, they come against a backdrop of a significant wave of employment law changes currently facing UK employers.

Updated policies will need to identify who qualifies and how much leave is available. Crucially, they must reflect that leave can be taken flexibly within a 56-week window rather than just in a single block.

“This is a positive step forward for workplace support, and many businesses already have great policies in place to enable staff to take unpaid leave in the event of a bereavement,” said Helen Imbusi, Head of HR Consultancy at the HR Dept.

“However, it will require a little work to be undertaken to ensure compliance, update company policies, and ensure HR systems can handle the new flexible requirements.”

Helen said as well as updating policies, managers will need to be offered training. She said: “As the first people confronted with difficult cases, consistent decision-making from trained leaders is important. Ultimately, the goal is to comply with the new law and treat bereaved employees with sensitivity.”