MP pledges support for extra bereavement leave

Scott Benton, MP for Blackpool South, attended a Parliamentary event on 2nd March in support of extending bereavement leave and pay to employees experiencing a close family bereavement.

The event was hosted by the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, Patricia Gibson MP, Lucy Herd (The Grief Educator and mother of Jack, after whom Jack’s Law is named), and Lord Knight of Weymouth.

Jack’s Law was introduced in Great Britain in April 2020 and focuses on the right to parental bereavement leave and pay. It applies to employed parents who lose a child under the age of 18 or who suffer a stillbirth (from 24 weeks of pregnancy), irrespective of how long they have been working with their employer.

Parents with at least 26 weeks’ continuous service with their employer and weekly average earnings over the lower earnings limit are also entitled to Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay.

The CIPD and Lucy Herd have been campaigning to change the law to ensure that employees who experience the loss of a close family member receive bereavement leave and pay*.

The CIPD and Ms Gibson invited MPs and Lords to the drop-in session to pledge their support to their campaign and Ms Gibson’s Bill to extend bereavement leave to employees.

Scott Benton MP said: “I fully support extending paid bereavement leave to employees and was pleased to attend this important event.”