The Paternity Leave (Bereavement) Act 2024 (c. 17) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that amended the Employment Rights Act 1996. It extends the right to compassionate leave for bereaved parents.
Background In 2022, Aaron Horsey launched a two-year campaign to change the law after his wife died during childbirth. Under the law at the time, an employee did not qualify for bereavement leave on the ground that the other parent of their child had died within twelve months of the birth or adoption of the child until they had been employed for 26 weeks.
On 20 December 2022, Darren Henry introduced a private member's bill, the Shared Parental Leave and Pay (Bereavement) Bill, under the Ten Minute Rule, to remove the qualifying period of employment in cases where the birth or adopting parent had died. The bill did not receive a second reading.
Passage Another bill was introduced in the House of Commons by Chris Elmore on 6 December 2023. Second reading of the bill in the House of Commons took place on 26 January 2024. The Bill passed second reading with cross-party support.
There was no report stage for the bill and it passed straight to third reading in the House of Commons on 26 April 2024. It passed the House of Lords on 24 May 2024, and was granted royal assent on the same day.Parliament website It came into force on 29 December 2025.Paternity Leave (Bereavement) Act 2024 (Commencement) Regulations 2025
Provisions The act amends the Employment Rights Act 1996 to give the parent of a child whose other parent died within 12 months of the child's birth or adoption the right to take a leave of absence, regardless of how long they have been employed by their employer. Previously this right was only acquired after an employee had been employed for 26 weeks. Each year, about 180 mothers in the United Kingdom die within a year of their child's birth.Hansard: second reading debate of the bill in the House of Lords, 17 May 2024, vol. 838
Notes
References
Bibliography
External links