Grief affects concentration, sleep and energy, and healthcare work asks for all three. A doctor returns to a ward where patients are dying of the same illness as her father. A pharmacist dispenses end-of-life medicines a week after his partner's funeral. A nursing student loses a grandparent during a placement assessment. Nobody grieves on a timetable. Your rights at work, and a few practical arrangements, give you room to grieve without rushing back.
Employees can take reasonable unpaid time off when a dependant dies, including time to arrange and attend the funeral. Parents who lose a child under 18, or have a stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy, are entitled to 2 weeks of Parental Bereavement Leave. Beyond these rights, compassionate leave and pay depend on your employer's policy, so ask your manager or HR what applies.
Your legal rights after a death
Key facts
- Time off for dependants
- Reasonable time off when a dependant dies, including the funeral. Unpaid unless your contract says otherwise.
- Parental Bereavement Leave
- 2 weeks after the death of a child under 18 or a stillbirth after 24 weeks. Take the leave within 56 weeks of the death.
- Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay
- Needs 26 weeks' continuous employment and minimum earnings.
- Compassionate leave
- No legal right for other relatives or friends. Depends on employer policy.
- Northern Ireland
- Has its own parental bereavement scheme, with different eligibility rules for deaths on or after 6 April 2026.
Time off for dependants. A dependant includes a spouse, partner, child, parent or someone who relies on you for care. The law sets no fixed number of days. The test is what is reasonable to deal with the death and the arrangements.
Parental Bereavement Leave. Often called Jack's Law, this right gives parents 2 weeks of leave, taken together, as two separate weeks or as one week. You can take the leave at any point within 56 weeks of the death. The right to leave starts from day one of employment. Statutory pay has service and earnings conditions.
Pregnancy loss before 24 weeks. No statutory bereavement leave applies yet. Acas advises employers to consider time off. The Employment Rights Act 2025 creates a new unpaid right to bereavement leave for close relatives and for pregnancy loss before 24 weeks, but the right was not in force when this page was checked.
Asking for compassionate leave
Most NHS employers and many pharmacy chains have a compassionate or special leave policy. Ask your manager or HR for the policy and check:
- How many days are paid and who counts as a close relative.
- Whether leave covers travel abroad for a funeral.
- If leave can be split into blocks, such as around an inquest or anniversary.
- What happens if you need more time, such as annual leave, unpaid leave or sick leave.
If grief makes you unwell, sick leave is a separate option. Your GP or another fit note issuer can sign you off. Employers must treat bereavement requests without discrimination, for example when a funeral follows religious or cultural customs with specific timing.
Choose one person to handle work contact
Ask a trusted colleague or your manager to tell the team and handle questions while you are away. Agree how often they will contact you, if at all, and by which channel.
Going back to clinical work
Ask for a short planning conversation before your first shift. Useful points to agree:
- A phased return or shorter shifts for the first week or two.
- Time away from end-of-life care, palliative prescriptions or clinical areas linked to the death, if you want this.
- A named colleague to check in with each shift.
- Permission to step away for a few minutes if grief hits during a shift.
The returning to work guide explains fit notes and phased returns. Grief after a patient death, or after a colleague's death, is real too. The guides on moral distress and life after a clinical error may help.
Support organisations after a bereavement
Pharmacist Support
Profession-specific support for pharmacy people, including wellbeing and practical help.
Check the provider's current criteria for pharmacists, trainees, students and family support.
BMA wellbeing services
Counselling and peer support for doctors and medical students.
The main wellbeing services have their own access rules. Additional member services may require membership.
Doctors' Support Network
Peer support for doctors and medical students with mental-health concerns.
Check membership, group arrangements and confidentiality guidance. Peer support does not replace treatment.
Doctors in Distress
Group-based support and wellbeing programmes for healthcare workers.
Programme audiences, dates and availability vary. Confirm a current programme includes your profession.
The NHS website lists bereavement services, including Cruse Bereavement Support. Your employer may offer an employee assistance programme with free counselling sessions. If grief brings thoughts of harming yourself, use the urgent support page, call NHS 111 or Samaritans on 116 123, or 999 in an emergency.
Common questions
How many days of bereavement leave am I entitled to in the UK?
There is no fixed number for most deaths. Employees can take reasonable time off when a dependant dies. Parents who lose a child under 18 get 2 weeks of Parental Bereavement Leave. Anything more depends on your employer's policy.
Is bereavement leave paid?
Time off for dependants is unpaid unless your contract says otherwise. Eligible parents can get Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay. Many NHS employers pay a set number of compassionate leave days.
Can I get leave after a miscarriage?
No statutory bereavement leave covers pregnancy loss before 24 weeks yet. Acas advises employers to consider time off, and sick leave is another option if you are unwell.
When should I go back to work after a bereavement?
There is no set timetable. Agree a return plan with your manager, ask for a phased return if you need one and see your GP if grief is affecting your health.
Related guides
Caring responsibilities · Supporting a grieving colleague · Burnout in healthcare · Workplace rights and wellbeing