Bereavement Leave Is Changing in 2027

-and That is Good News for People and Business

There are some changes in employment law that feel technical.

And then there are changes that feel human.

The expansion of statutory bereavement and pregnancy loss leave from April 2027 sits firmly in the second category.

For employees who lose a spouse or partner, parent, adult child or sibling, there will be a new right to two weeks’ unpaid bereavement leave. Pregnancy loss before 24 weeks will also be recognised, including miscarriage, termination and unsuccessful IVF embryo transfer, with the entitlement extending to partners and intended parents too.

It is, quite simply, a positive step.

Because when somebody is grieving, the question should not be: how quickly can we get them back to work?

It should be: what do they need in order to come back well?

That distinction matters.

There is very little value in somebody returning to work before they are ready simply because they feel they have no other option. They may technically be back at their desk, but if their concentration is gone, their energy is low and their head is somewhere else entirely, nobody really benefits.

• Not the employee.

• Not the team.

• And not the business.

Sometimes more time is the productive choice.

Sometimes flexibility is the productive choice.

Sometimes allowing somebody to step away properly gives them a far better chance of returning with more stability, confidence and capacity later.

That is not weakness - It is good workforce management.

The proposed changes also reflect something we have needed to acknowledge more openly for a long time: grief does not only count when it fits into one narrow definition.

• Pregnancy loss can be deeply significant.

• Losing a sibling can completely destabilise somebody.

• The death of a parent can change practical responsibilities overnight.

And the impact of loss does not always arrive immediately.

Sometimes the first few days are filled with admin, arrangements and adrenaline. It is only later, when everything becomes quieter, that the reality really lands.

That is why the flexibility built into the new approach matters too.

It starts to recognise that support may be needed beyond the immediate aftermath.

And for employers, that creates an opportunity.

A good bereavement policy should not just answer the question: how much leave are we legally required to provide?

It should answer a bigger one:

How do we help this person return in a way that actually works?

• That might mean a phased return.

• A reduced workload for a short period.

• More flexibility around key dates or appointments.

• A manager who checks in properly.

• Counselling where that is appropriate.

• Or coaching that helps someone work through confidence, priorities, boundaries and the practical reality of returning to work after life has changed.

Because the return itself is a transition.

And transitions deserve support.

At MOCO, that is the part we think businesses sometimes underestimate.

People do not always come back as the exact same version of themselves.

• They may see work differently.

• Their priorities may have shifted.

• Their confidence may have taken a knock.

• Their home responsibilities may be greater.

• They may simply need time to work out what “normal” now looks like.

The best employers understand that.

They do not treat support as a concession.

They see it as part of retaining good people.

And there is a very strong business case for getting this right.

Employees remember how they were treated during the hardest periods of their lives.

• They remember the manager who gave them space.

• The team who quietly picked things up.

• The employer who made it easy to come back gradually.

They also remember the opposite.

That is why this change should be welcomed not only as a legal development, but as a chance for businesses to look again at how they support people through major life events.

The strongest organisations will not stop at compliance.

They will ask how their culture, managers and support systems can make the experience better.

Because ultimately, you do not want somebody back at work before they are ready.

• You want them back supported.

• You want them back confident.

• You want them back feeling that the organisation they work for understands that they are a person first and an employee second.

And if this change helps more businesses move in that direction, then that is something worth celebrating.

The goal is not simply return to work.

The goal is a return that works.