The UK’s oldest funeral directors, CPJ Field, is calling on Brits to support its #PaidLeaveToGrieve campaign – encouraging all UK employers to offer a flexible paid bereavement policy to staff.

There is currently no mandatory paid leave policy in the UK for bereaved workers, and the #PaidLeaveToGrieve campaign wants employees to be supported in their time of need.

Jeremy Field OBE, MD of the 300-year-old family business comments, “Just as no two lives are the same, neither are two people’s experience of grief.

“Through our experience of supporting families following the death of a loved one and beyond, we’ve identified a need within the UK for an official employer bereavement policy, and our consumer research solidified that.

“We’re calling for UK employers to broaden their offering of compassionate leave and offer paid leave to all workers when it’s needed most.”

The proposed policy would work in a similar way to paid paternity leave “which is very flexible to suits the needs of the wide range of circumstances that people can find themselves in”.

It would allow all workers two weeks of flexible paid leave following the death of a close family member, spouse or partner, including pre-grief.

CPJ Field is supporting UK employers by developing a downloadable employer pack. It includes a template policy and a conversation guide to help employers speak more openly and comfortably about grief.

The #PaidLeaveToGrieve petition campaigns for all political parties to include a commitment to work towards an official Bereavement Law as part of their 2024 manifestos.

It is estimated that bereavement at work costs the UK economy £23bn a year through reduced tax revenue and increased use of NHS and social care services.

CPJ Field believes that investing in bereavement leave and support could lead to a significant long-term saving for the UK economy through reduced absence and increased productivity.

“The importance of the time to grieve around the death of someone closer to us has been at the forefront of government decisionmaking throughout the COVID pandemic,” says Jeremy, “so it is easy for policymakers and employers to see the impact that bereavement has on society and their workforces.

“Simply by making a period of paid leave available (employers can do this by choice) to those who need it most, they can demonstrate the extent to which they value their people.

“Ideally, policy makers will opt to introduce a statutory payment that will ease the pressure on businesses that will otherwise bear the cost.”

The petition and employer pack are at https://www.cpjfield.co.uk/paid-leave-to-grieve