Compassionate Leave: How Employers Can Further Assist

Compassionate leave, otherwise known as bereavement leave or family leave, helps employees to manage their stress and personal responsibilities during difficult times. It supports employees while allowing them to take the time that they need to get better. 

By offering more than the minimum compassionate leave entitlement, your people will understand that they are valued by their organisation as individuals outside of work, and that they are supported by their team and workplace. 

Here we explore how flexible leave options can support employee wellbeing, help to increase company loyalty, retention, and productivity, and can lead to improvements in workplace culture.

What is Compassionate Leave?

Compassionate leave is an absence from work that is granted to an employee as the result of sensitive or upsetting personal circumstances, often associated with the death of a close relative. This allows employees to take necessary time off to grieve or manage crises without the pressure of work commitments. 

Examples of Compassionate Leave

Some compassionate leave examples include: 

• The death of a family member or a close relative
• A serious illness or injury of a dependent or close family member
• Compassionate leave for funerals of a loved one
• Needing to provide care for a dependent or a relative who is critically ill
• Supporting a spouse, partner, or immediate family member through a bereavement period
• Helping to arrange or settle affairs following the death of a loved one

Other types of leave like bereavement leave, parental bereavement leave, and emergency time off, are more specific than compassionate leave and cover a narrower range of reasons for needing to take a leave of absence. 

For example, parental bereavement leave is a separate policy that only extends to employees who have lost a child under the age of 18, or who have had a stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy. Some examples of compassionate leave might also fall under these more specific categories too.

Legal Requirements for Compassionate Leave in the UK

The UK government mandates that all employees within the UK are allowed time off from work to deal with an emergency involving a dependent.

A dependant is classed as:

• A husband, wife, civil partner, or partner
• A child
• A parent
• Someone who lives in an employee’s household (not tenants, lodgers, or employees)
• A person who relies on the employee, such as if an employee cares for an elderly neighbour

Do You Get Paid for Compassionate Leave?

Employers in the UK are not legally required to offer paid statutory compassionate leave. This decision is typically at the employer's discretion and is often outlined in the company's internal policies. The absence of a statutory requirement for paid leave can affect employees financially, particularly during already stressful times.

While not mandatory, many UK employers choose to offer paid compassionate leave as part of their benefits package, recognising the importance of supporting employees during these difficult times. The duration and pay can vary significantly between organisations, with some offering full pay for a set period and others opting for unpaid leave unless annual leave is taken. Offering paid compassionate leave can enhance employee loyalty and workplace morale, and be really beneficial for employees who are dealing with things like loss or family illness.

Though it is not compulsory to pay employees for their time off for compassionate leave, similar types of leave like statutory parental bereavement leave, might require employers to pay their employees for their time off, so it’s important that you understand the specific regulations of different types of leave. 

How Long is Compassionate Leave?

Instead of requiring that employers offer a specific amount of time to their employees, the UK government mandates that employers must allow their employees “a reasonable amount of time off”. The specific amount of time is at  the employer’s discretion.  

While the duration therefore varies, typically, compassionate leave ranges from a few days to a week—with the national average of 5 days—depending on the severity of the situation, such as the death of a close family member. 

As an employer, you might also want to consider offering flexibility by allowing employees to negotiate additional time or use other types of their leave if they need to. It may also be hard for employees getting back into the swing of things as they return from their leave. Be mindful to handle decisions about how much time employees might need with utmost care, respect, and empathy.

Implementing an Effective Compassionate Leave Policy

What Should a Compassionate Leave Policy Have?

When creating your organisation’s compassionate leave policy, it’s important to be clear and precise so that your people can understand your organisation’s policy.

Start by defining the eligibility criteria of who can qualify for compassionate leave (i.e. full-time, part-time, and temporary employees) and outlining the process employees must follow to request leave, including whom to notify and any documentation required. 

While the exact amount of time may vary depending on circumstances, an effective compassionate leave policy will specify the typical length of leave offered and a procedure for employees to request an extension of leave, including any necessary approvals or additional documentation.

Best Practices for Communicating and Managing Compassionate Leave

Clear Communication

Your organisation’s compassionate leave policy should be distributed through multiple channels, such as employee handbooks, company intranet, and onboarding process. Ensure that all employees understand your organisation’s compassionate leave policy and procedures.

Manager Training

Employees requesting compassionate leave are likely to be experiencing stress, so it’s important that managers are trained to handle these requests with sensitivity. Managers should receive training in empathy, effective communication, confidentiality, crisis and stress management, and cultural sensitivity to learn how to support their teams and handle these requests compassionately. 

Confidentiality and Privacy

The causes for compassionate leave are often sensitive in nature, so managers and HR professionals must be sure to respect employee privacy and confidentiality. Personal information should only be shared with those who need to know for administrative purposes.

Fair and Consistent Application 

Develop a standardised process for handling leave requests to make sure your policy is applied fairly and consistently to everyone. Regular audits and reviews can help maintain equity and address any potential discrepancies.

Going Beyond Statutory Requirements

Extended Leave Options

Some companies offer more generous compassionate leave allowances, providing their employees with extended time off for bereavement or sick family members. These extended leave options can lead to improved employee wellbeing and increased loyalty and retention by showing a deeper commitment to employee care.

However, when implementing extended leave policies, organisations should consider financial implications, such as the cost of additional leave, and ensure there are plans in place to cover work responsibilities while employees are absent. 

Flexible Working Arrangements During and After Leave

If you cannot afford to offer an extended leave option, then flexible working options might be the best way for you to support your employees. Offering reduced hours or remote working options can give your employees the extra time they need, while also helping them to adjust back to work after compassionate leave. 

Offering flexible arrangements alongside compassionate leave enhances employee wellbeing, increases productivity, fosters loyalty, improves work-life balance, and strengthens employer branding by showing support and trust during challenging times.

Supporting Employees Through Grief and Loss

Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) and Counselling Services  

Offering benefits like our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) and counselling services are another great way to help employees through a period of bereavement, or with any other grief or loss they might be experiencing. 

Some counselling services that are useful to offer employees are:

• Grief counselling
• Financial advice
• Mental health counselling
• Family and relationship counselling
• Substance abuse counselling

These services give employees access to a confidential space to speak with a specialist about what they’re feeling and experiencing. With the increasing cost of living in the UK, these types of benefits can be fundamental to employees who might not be able to afford these services on their own. From a business perspective, offering these services to employees can aid with productivity, workplace culture, and company loyalty.

Creating a Supportive Work Environment

While some employees may hope to keep their private lives exactly that—private—other employees might appreciate sharing what they are experiencing with their colleagues and team. Fostering an empathetic workplace culture can help employees to feel that they have the option to share what they are dealing with or speak with a confidential source. 

To ensure this, organisations should train their staff—especially those in management positions—on how to provide appropriate and targeted support. This includes training in:

Empathy Development 

Teach active listening and empathy skills so that colleagues can better understand and respond to other employees’ needs.

Awareness Training  

Raise awareness throughout your organisation of mental health issues and the importance of supportive communication.

Clear Communication

Instruct employees and management on effective, respectful communication techniques to maintain openness and trust through all company teams.

Boundary Management

Educate staff on respecting personal boundaries while offering their colleagues support.  

Resource Familiarity 

Make sure that your people are familiar with your organisation’s available resources, such as counselling services and leave options.

Continuous Learning

Support training shouldn’t just be a one-and-done thing. Encourage, or require, ongoing training to keep employee skills and understanding updated.

The Business Case for Comprehensive Compassionate Leave Policies

Giving your employees the proper time that they need in order to deal with their personal stresses will help to make sure that, when they do return back to work, they are ready. This timeframe will of course vary for each person and every individual situation, but forcing a person to come back to work before they are ready can have serious, detrimental effects.

By showing your people that you’re willing to support them during their time of need, you’ll help to boost company loyalty, which in turn can increase employee retention and reduce turnover costs. A comprehensive benefit offering, such as paid or flexible compassionate leave policies and counselling or EAP services, might also positively contribute to your organisation’s ability to attract and recruit top talent. 

Some UK companies that have notably boosted their brand’s reputation through offering a competitive compassionate leave policy are Co-op, NatWest, and Retail Energy Code.

Enhance Your Organisation’s Compassionate Leave Policy

It is important to go beyond the legal minimums for compassionate leave. When employees are dealing with personal losses such as family death or illnesses, the last thing they need to worry about is whether or not they will be allowed to take the proper amount of time off from work that they require to properly grieve.

Offering a competitive compassionate leave policy has mutual benefits for both employers and employees, with employees more likely to be engaged and productive if they feel that they’ve received empathy and informed support from their employers when they’ve needed it. 

If your organisation doesn’t currently have a compassionate leave policy in place, it’s imperative to establish one so that your employees know exactly how much compassionate leave they are entitled to and how to request it. Additionally, you should consider looking at your current policies to identify ways that the support can be enhanced. 

Vivup’s platform helps you to support your people’s wellbeing by allowing you to house all your benefits in one central place for them to access.