Employment and bereavement

Bereavement is part of life. Most people will experience a death while they are working. Because of this, employers have an important role in supporting their employees at difficult times.

We believe employers should make reasonable changes to support bereaved employees.

With kindness, flexibility and understanding, many people can continue working while they grieve.

Work can give people routine, purpose and stability. However, grief affects how people think, feel and cope day to day. Employers can help by listening, being flexible, and creating a compassionate workplace culture.

Bereavement can affect many parts of a person’s life, including:

• Mental and physical health
• Family life and caring responsibilities
• Income and financial security

At work, this can lead to:

• Reduced concentration and energy
• Increased sickness absence
• Difficulty coping with normal workloads

Support at work often depends on the attitude of a line manager. This means people can be treated differently within the same organisation, which can feel unfair and distressing.

What the evidence shows

When grief is ignored or poorly supported at work, it is linked to:

• Poor mental health
• Lower productivity and morale
• People leaving their jobs

Some people are more likely to feel unsupported, including:

• People bereaved by suicide
• People affected by pregnancy loss or miscarriage
• LGBT+ people whose relationships are not recognised
• People from some ethnic or cultural backgrounds

Research also shows that bereavement costs the UK economy billions of pounds each year. Many people could stay in work with better support. What helps most is clear bereavement policies, managers who are trained and confident and open, compassionate conversations about grief.

What we are calling for

We welcome the government’s plan to include pregnancy loss before 24 weeks in statutory bereavement leave. This is a positive first step, but it does not go far enough.

We call for all organisations to:

• Have a clear bereavement policy
• Offer at least two weeks of paid bereavement leave, taken flexibly
• Base support on the impact of the loss, not just the relationship
• Train managers to apply policies fairly and with compassion

Grief does not stop when someone goes to work. Compassion and flexibility reduce harm for people and organisations. Inconsistent support causes confusion and distress, especially for people already facing inequality.

These steps would support bereaved people and help employers through better wellbeing, loyalty and productivity.