A recent report from the National Council for Palliative Care has revealed that 32% of people who were bereaved in the last five years were not treated with compassion by their employer.
The research also found that more than half (56%) of people said they would consider looking for a new place of work if their employer did not provide proper support in a bereavement situation.
According to the research many people were in favour of the idea of bereavement support in the workplace, with 87% of those surveyed agreeing all employers should have a compassionate employment policy, including paid bereavement leave, flexible working and a range of other support.
In addition, 81% backed the idea of a legal right to receive paid bereavement leave: there is currently no right to statutory paid bereavement leave although employees have the right to “reasonable” unpaid time off to deal with practicalities such as arranging a funeral.
Contact our Solicitors
For specialist legal advice on employment matters, or to arrange an initial consultation with a solicitor in respect of any of our other legal services, please complete our online enquiry form or contact us on 0141 248 3456.