Bereavement and grief touches us all. Sadly, they are an unavoidable part of life, love, and what it is to be human. Whilst every person’s experience is unique, how we provide support and guidance as a society can have a huge impact on the ability of people to navigate their own journey through grief. So, it is wonderful to see two new bereavement-support initiatives that will have a profound positive impact on individuals, families, and society as a whole.
Firstly, age-appropriate death, dying and bereavement education is now included in the revised Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) statutory guidance for schools in England and so, since September 2026, is now part of the national curriculum. The campaign was driven by highly-respected funeral director John Adams, following his own experiences of grief and lack of guidance and support at school after the death of his much-loved mother, Maria, when he was 12.
The revised guidance teaches that loss and death are a part of life, that grief is a natural response to bereavement, and that everyone grieves differently. Children are taught to recognise when they, or someone else, may be struggling, how to talk about their feelings, and where they can find support within the school. Congratulations to John and everyone involved for their unwavering drive and commitment to inspire change that will touch the lives of so many children and families for generations to come.
Secondly, the Government has recently confirmed a new statutory right to bereavement leave, with changes that come into force in April 2027.
Currently, law in Great Britain doesn’t give employees a general statutory right to bereavement leave. There are specific existing rights, for example, parental bereavement leave, but otherwise time off following a bereavement can depend on an employer’s own policy. Some employers already offer considerably more than the statutory minimum but, under the new legislation, all employees will have a legal right to leave within a wider framework.
Changes coming into force in April 2027 include:
- The right to leave isn’t restricted to biological relatives. It will cover the death of a spouse or partner, parent, adult child or sibling, and half, step, adoptive, kinship-care, and foster relationships.
- Leave will be able to be taken flexibly, including as individual days, within 56 weeks of the bereavement rather than necessarily all at once. This can help if someone needs time away from work later, maybe around the time of an anniversary or another particularly difficult time.
- During the first eight weeks following a bereavement, employees will not necessarily have to give advance notice, instead they will need to notify their employer as soon as is reasonably practicable.
- Employees won’t have to provide evidence of the bereavement to qualify, and they will be protected from dismissal for exercising their statutory right.
- The Government has confirmed the broad framework, with the detailed regulations providing the precise rules before the changes come into force.
There is another important, separate but related change taking place from April 2027. Employees experiencing pregnancy loss before 24 weeks, and their partners, will be entitled to up to two weeks’ unpaid leave. This will include miscarriage, termination of pregnancy and unsuccessful IVF embryo transfers. The existing entitlement for parents following a stillbirth after 24 weeks or the death of a child under 18 will also sit within the expanded bereavement-leave framework.
Bereavement and grief can be devastating. Their impact is felt not only by an individual, but can ripple out through families, workplaces and communities. It is therefore great to see an umbrella of support being implemented, and for grief in its many forms being increasingly recognised, understood and honoured.
To view the revised Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RHSE) statutory guidance for schools in England, please go to the Department for Education document (page 21 has the revision regarding guidance around loss, grief and bereavement).
For further information about the statutory right to bereavement leave that is coming into force in April 2027, please visit the Government document Make Work Pay: leave for bereavement including pregnancy loss or there is a shorter summary in their Press Release, No one should have to fight for time to grieve – New rights for family bereavement and pregnancy loss.
If would like information about grief and bereavement, please visit our whiteballoon Bereavement Support section that has comprehensive information, together with signposting to helpful charities, blogs, apps, and podcasts. You can also find helpful books about grief and bereavement in our Inspiration Books & Guides section.