Create a legal entitlement to two weeks’ paid bereavement leave for employees
We call on the Government to create a legal entitlement to two weeks (10 working days) of paid bereavement leave for employees, which can be taken flexibly and in separate periods where needed, to ensure consistent protection for bereaved workers across the UK.
Signatures
214
signatures
Government response threshold (10,000) · 214/10,000
Debate threshold (100,000) · 214/100,000
- 16 FEB 2026Petition opened for signaturesCreated by Alice Cutler
Background
Bereavement leave policies vary widely, and can leave many workers without pay or forced back before they're ready. Cremations & funerals can take 10–14 days to arrange & death admin is often only possible in working hours. One report suggests grief costs the UK economy an estimated £23bn a year. A legal entitlement to two weeks’ paid bereavement leave could support people when they need it most, reduce financial stress, benefit the economy and help us all when we inevitably go through loss.