The Trust recognises the sensitive and often very distressing nature of bereavement and will endeavour to support colleagues affected by allowing reasonable time off work to deal with such situations.
The following is taken from the Leave of Absence (Special Leave) Policy:
Compassionate Leave and Bereavement
Parental Bereavement Leave:
This is a legal entitlement for bereaved parents to be absent from work for up to two weeks where their child dies. Whatever your length of service, you can take parental bereavement leave if you have lost a child (i.e. under the age of 18) and are the:
- Parent of a child who has passed away; or
- Partner of the child's parent, where you live in an enduring family relationship with the child and their parent; or
- "Parent in fact" of a child who has died, which means that, for a continuous period of at least four weeks before the child died, you have been living with the child and had "day-today responsibility" for the child (but you are not being paid to look after the child).
- Individuals who are fostering to adopt, most foster parents, (excluding short term and emergency foster care), intended parents under a surrogacy arrangement.
In practice, this means that most employees with parental responsibility for a child who dies can take parental bereavement leave and parents who suffer a still birth after 24 weeks or more into pregnancy.
There is no minimum service requirement for eligibility to take this leave.
Parental bereavement leave will be granted with pay as:
- A single block of 2 weeks or;
- 2 separate blocks of 1 week at different times (within 56 weeks).
A bereaved parent can take parental bereavement leave at any time from the date of the death of the child until 56 weeks after the date of the death of the child.
Entitlement to maternity leave and pay is not affected if a child has died or been stillborn. Maternity leave can be taken in addition to parental bereavement leave.
Additional bereavement leave, whether paid or unpaid, is granted at the discretion of the Headteacher.
Family Bereavement Leave:
Time off with pay will be granted at the time of family bereavement on the death of a close relative.
Employees are entitled to up to 10 days’ paid leave.
Employees may feel the need for a longer period to grieve. In these circumstances they should speak to their Headteacher and discuss:
- Using part of their annual leave – (support staff on 52 week contracts only);
- Taking further leave. Additional Bereavement Leave, whether paid or unpaid, is granted at the discretion of the line manager.
Compassionate Leave:
Compassionate leave is for circumstances not covered by family and parental bereavement leave.
Examples of when compassionate leave might be appropriate include:
- The death of someone who is not the employee’s partner or close relative but with whom the employee has had a close relationship;
- When the employee or employee’s partner has had a miscarriage within the first 24 weeks of the pregnancy;
- In complex domestic situations where a short period of time off work may help the employee to cope with the situation, for example the break-up of a long-term personal relationship or
- When an employee is experiencing domestic abuse or;
- When an employee’s partner or close family member has been diagnosed with a terminal illness or has been in a life-threatening accident.
Where a complex domestic situation has affected the employee’s health and rendered them unfit for work, then any absence will be regarded as sickness absence and the Sickness Absence Policy will apply.
The Headteacher or line manager may grant compassionate leave. Their decision is likely to consider the reason for the request; the likely duration and any cover arrangements that might need to be made.
Up to 10 days paid compassionate leave in any 12-month period (academic year) may be granted, to help employees where they need to deal with necessary arrangements or assist a close relative who is seriously or critically ill. This does not apply in the case of domestic emergencies, or where normal caring arrangements have been disrupted. We will consider compassionate leave for other traumatic events or difficult personal circumstances on an individual case by case basis.