The rules around bereavement leave may well change with the next government, and Mark Wood, chairman of Everest, says it presents an opportunity for employers to better educate, engage and support their workforce at a difficult time.
Bereavement leave is in the spotlight after the Labour Party said it plans to make bereavement leave available for all workers if it wins the upcoming election, as outlined in its manifesto.
With Labour significantly leading in the polls, employers will likely be wondering what bereavement policies may look like under a new government and how quickly any changes would need to be enforced.
Making bereavement leave available to all is very welcome news. While bereaved employees have the right to take time off if a dependent dies, they are still at the mercy of their employer on how much compassionate leave they get.
Employers typically offer three to five days off if a dependent dies. Even if most bereaved workers receive a few days off from their employer, the time is often too short for them to process the grief, plan a funeral and take care of any administrative tasks that may emerge when a loved one dies. The challenges are unique to each individual and can take a variety of different forms.
Don’t underestimate the admin impact
The death of a loved one can not only be emotionally draining, but it can also trigger a spate of complex and urgent tasks to be actioned. Accessing a will, establishing a loved one’s preferences for the funeral, planning a funeral and closing a bank account, are only a few tasks that bereaved employees may need to grapple with.
And not all tasks are equal. Some, such as planning a funeral, are tasks that have to be dealt with at once, but others, such as selling a family home or any legal matters can extend to months or even years in some cases.
The struggle of dealing with these logistics while still working cannot be underestimated. Research carried out by MetLife last year highlighted that almost a quarter of bereaved next of kin state that funeral planning took a huge amount of time. Worse yet, a further 7 percent felt that their ability to do their jobs was affected by bereavement.
Bereavement leave is a crucial way in which grieving employees receive support when they lose a loved one. But employees can also benefit from compassionate support, such as greater flexibility if employees are mourning the loss of a loved one or dealing with a loved one being critically ill. Offering more compassionate support can also prevent employees from burning out or having to take unpaid leave if they need support beyond the usual bereavement leave window.
It is imperative that in tandem to bereavement leave being reformed, HR leaders also provide compassionate support to their workers.
How can they do this?
Educate your employees
It is crucial that HR leaders educate their employees on will writing. It is striking to see that almost half of UK adults have not written their will, meanwhile, almost one in three would “rather watch TV” than dedicate their time to preparing a will, according to recent research by The Association of Lifetime Lawyers, a UK membership body for lawyers. Almost a third said they didn’t know how to get started in producing a will, meaning there is an opportunity for HR to educate employees around this.
While wills may do little to help the emotional turmoil that people face, having a will in place should, in theory at least, make the logistical admin less difficult for next of kin.
Tools for employees
It is rare to see life insurance offer more assistance beyond a payout. But employers can offer services such as a ‘funeral concierge’ rolled into a life insurance product, different platforms that can help employees store vital information safely, or a virtual bereavement admin service that can help bereaved employees with some tasks for a minimal fee.
HR could consider offering bereavement support as an add-on to existing benefits. Everest provides independent funeral planning services rolled up into a life insurance product, and all employees who receive MetLife cover, receive Everest for free. But to see an impact, HR needs to offer more rolled-up products to employees.
Revisit your benefits
Employers can offer greater flexibility through “work from anywhere days”, flexible hours for a certain period of time, and counselling sessions with a “bereavement coach”, which could offer more specialist support to employees.
The pledge to make bereavement leave available for all workers is undoubtedly needed and a very welcome step. However, as with changes to any law, it could take some time before it is reflected in the Employment Rights Bill.
Having a robust compassionate policy with the right tools, along with compassionate leave is the ideal way in which workers can get the support they need. It can also help HR leaders showcase empathy in the workplace and employee retention.
