At It’s Time, we are passionate not just about creating a community for those who’ve lost a parent and providing support, but also about campaigning for policies that support them. That’s why we have launched a campaign calling for better bereavement leave policies in the UK.
SUPPORT OUR CAMPAIGN
At the end of 2025 we conducted a survey all about people’s experiences of bereavement leave in the UK, which was completed by 81 respondents. Some key findings from our report were:
91% were not aware of the current UK bereavement leave laws at the point of answering our survey.
72% felt the current UK bereavement leave laws (employer’s discretion) are inadequate.
100% were in favour of there being a national policy to ensure that people who lose a parent (as well as all those experiencing a bereavement) are entitled to bereavement leave.
58% had not seen, were unsure about, or did not have a workplace bereavement policy.
OUR POLICY ASKS:
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with flexibility to take this leave in separate blocks rather than as a single continuous period. Grief does not follow a fixed timetable, and employees should be able to use their leave in a way that reflects the reality of bereavement.
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ensuring a consistent minimum entitlement across immediate family relationships. The impact of losing a sibling, grandparent, or other close family member can be profound, and the law should reflect this.
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including access to counselling or employee assistance services, reasonable workplace adjustments where needed, and clear guidance for managers on how to support bereaved colleagues with compassion and consistency.
Writing to your MP - you can download a template below, and find your MP by typing in your postcode on the government’s website. Please copy campaigning@itstimecharity.co.uk into your email.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED:
Share your experience of bereavement leave.
Sharing about It’s Time’s campaign on your social media!