Employers across all sectors including games will need to update their leave policies ahead of new statutory bereavement rights coming into force from April 2027, including new protections for employees affected by pregnancy loss.
The Government has confirmed employees who lose a spouse or partner, parent, adult child or sibling will gain a legal right to bereavement leave. The entitlement will also recognise step, half, adoptive, kinship care and foster relationships.
In a significant change for workplace pregnancy loss policies, women experiencing a pregnancy loss before 24 weeks will be entitled to up to two weeks of unpaid leave. The same entitlement will extend to partners, the other biological parent and intended parents in a surrogacy arrangement.
Pregnancy loss covered by the legislation will include miscarriage, termination and unsuccessful IVF embryo transfers. Currently, there is no statutory bereavement leave entitlement covering these circumstances.
The new provisions will sit alongside existing Parental Bereavement Leave rights applying following a stillbirth after 24 weeks or the death of a child under 18.
The Government has also confirmed important details about how the broader bereavement entitlement will operate. Leave will be available flexibly within 56 weeks of a loss and can be taken as individual days rather than solely as a continuous block.
Employees taking leave during the first eight weeks following a bereavement will only need to notify their employer as soon as reasonably practicable. They will not be required to provide evidence of their loss and will be legally protected against detriment or dismissal for exercising the right.
Of course, many organisations across the games industry already provide compassionate or bereavement leave beyond statutory requirements, but the changes will establish a minimum legal safety net across workplaces.
Matthew Percival, CBI Future of Work & Skills Director, said many employers already provide compassionate leave and welcomed further engagement to ensure the accompanying guidance works effectively in practice.
The measures will be introduced through secondary legislation next year before taking effect in April 2027, giving HR teams time to review existing bereavement, compassionate leave and pregnancy loss policies and prepare managers for the new statutory requirements.
The government has today published the consultation response on GOV.UK which is available here.
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