64% of UK adults aged 16-75 think their bereavement leave is paid. In reality, the UK’s common compassionate leave does not require employers to offer any paid time off, while statutory pay (£184.03 a week) is only offered for the loss of children under 18 or a stillbirth after 24 weeks.
This anomaly creates huge inequality, where time off for loss risks being something that only those who are highly paid can afford.
These are the findings of new research of 2,213 nationally representative UK adults aged 16-75 carried out by Ipsos for Lucky Generals.
The agency is using the findings (expanded on below) to launch its own bereavement policy, offering all staff up to three weeks of paid flexible compassionate leave following the death of a close loved one.
The policy, which has been endorsed by NABS, reflects Lucky Generals’ evolved understanding of the nature of grief and includes a host of innovative offerings in a bid to make it more human, more personal and less linear. These include extensive death admin support from Octopus Legacy, accommodating, understanding and respecting individual experiences and cultural differences around religion and community, flexibility around grieving, enhanced access to therapy and a host of NABS training and courses for managers dealing with grief. The full policy can be found here.
Helen Calcraft, founder of Lucky Generals, said, “Most companies are still operating within a 1950s “stiff upper lip” universe, where you take two weeks off work immediately after a loss, and then return to work and are expected to have closed the grief chapter and be “back to normal”. We now know that our response to grief is highly individual, and it is by no means linear or “done” after 2 weeks. So, the new policy allows each person to take the time they need, when they need it, to process and heal over a three-year period, bringing bereavement policies into the 21st Century.”
Further research findings
The policy comes as Lucky Generals publishes research showing that 55% of UK adults aged 16-75 in full or part-time employment know little or nothing about their company's bereavement policy, demonstrating how much confusion there is around their entitlements and the way companies are communicating the support on offer during times of loss.
The reasons for this confusion are deep-rooted, even though 82% of UK adults aged 16-75 strongly agree or tend to agree that It's important to talk openly about death, the research found that conversely, 73% of UK adults aged 16-75 strongly agree or tend to agree that generally, people in the UK are reluctant to talk about it.
The research also found that 87% of UK adults aged 16-75 think paid bereavement leave definitely should or probably should cover the loss of one or more of seven different close family members or a close friend[2] (in addition to a child under 18 years or stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy). Those called out include children aged 18 or over (87%), Spouse/Partner (91%), parent (89%), sibling (82%), grandparent (67%) and grandchild (75%).
The specific strands of the policy are also backed by the research, showing that 69% of UK adults aged 16-75 strongly agree or tend to agree that employers should have a bereavement policy in place that accommodates different religious needs, while 86% strongly agree or tend to agree that employers should have a bereavement policy in place that allows for flexibility when employees take time off.
By making this policy open, Lucky Generals hopes to share its learnings with other agencies to adopt more compassionate and inclusive grief policies. The policy is part of The Grief Project: a social impact initiative dedicated to equipping the creative industry and wider society with the understanding and compassion needed to navigate grief and loss in the workplace and beyond.
Lameya Chaudury, head of social impact at Lucky Generals, said, "Grief is one of life’s few universal experiences, yet it's still treated like a taboo in many workplaces, and this research shows there is a lot of confusion and miscommunication about employees rights. With The Grief Project, we wanted to challenge the outdated mindset and show what compassionate, holistic support looks like. With this initiative, we are saying we see you, we support you, and we’ll meet you where you are. It’s time for businesses to lead with empathy, not just efficiency, and we’re proud to take this step forward."
Time to Grieve and Flexibility
All Generals have up to three weeks of paid compassionate leave following the death of a close loved one. They can take up to two weeks of fully paid compassionate leave at any time in the first year then an additional five individual days of fully paid leave over the next 24 months
for those tougher times, such as anniversaries, birthdays and cultural moments. They will also be offered flexibility to either work remotely or change their hours to fit in around their grieving or death admin duties.
Cross Cultural Awareness
The policy has been specifically designed to accommodate, understand, and respect individual experiences and cultural differences and will be inclusive for all. Many current policies and offerings are designed around white British customs and are not representative of other minority communities.
Death Admin Support
The policy also includes a partnership with Octopus Legacy, offering help with increasingly expensive and emotionally draining grief admin, such as Free Estate Planning Consultation, Free Probate Consultation and discounted Probate Service, Free online wills & LPAs (+ discounted telephone/video/in-person service) and Additional Bereavement Counselling and Support.
NABS
The policy has also been endorsed by NABS, which has added its expertise throughout the development process. It will live on the NABS website for all to see and download, along with information on accessing support for grief and loss. There is also signposting in the policy to NABS and some of their offerings. These include their recently launched Managers Mindset Programme plus its Advice Line for compassionate conversations and tailored guidance.