Petition · Department for Business and Trade
Create a legal entitlement to two weeks’ paid bereavement leave for employees
Open for signatures
226 signatures
What the petition asks
We call on the Government to create a legal entitlement to two weeks (10 working days) of paid bereavement leave for employees, which can be taken flexibly and in separate periods where needed, to ensure consistent protection for bereaved workers across the UK.
Bereavement leave policies vary widely, and can leave many workers without pay or forced back before they're ready. Cremations & funerals can take 10–14 days to arrange & death admin is often only possible in working hours. One report suggests grief costs the UK economy an estimated £23bn a year. A legal entitlement to two weeks’ paid bereavement leave could support people when they need it most, reduce financial stress, benefit the economy and help us all when we inevitably go through loss.
Timeline
| 16 Feb 2026 | Petition opened for signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
226
Status
Open for signatures
Department
Department for Business and Trade
Opened
16 Feb 2026
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 26 Jul 2026.