Ministers have not yet decided which relatives would be covered under the new workers’ rights bill and have published a list of options in a consultation document.
Labour’s new workers’ rights bill could allow people to take a week off work to mourn the death of their cousins, uncles, in-laws and friends (Image: Getty)
Sir Keir Starmer’s new workers’ rights bill could allow people to take a week off work to mourn the death of distant family members or friends. The death of someone’s in-laws, uncles, cousins, nieces, but also “close friends and relationships that are not related but take the place of a traditional family”, would all qualify. Bereavement leave, currently mandatory for the death of a child under 18 years, is set to expand as part of one of the Employment Rights Bill championed by the former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner.
Ministers have not yet decided which relatives would be covered under the rules and have published a list of options in a consultation document. However, the consideration has sparked worries among businesses, which view this expansion as a potential threat to their resources.
Angela Raxner championed the Employment Rights Bill (Image: Getty)
Joanna Marchong, head of external affairs at the Adam Smith Institute, told The Telegraph that while the proposal “may look compassionate”, it might impose high costs and administrative burdens on employers.
She said: “Allowing virtually any personal relationship to trigger a statutory leave entitlement creates huge uncertainty for firms. Employers won’t know when staff may walk out for leave, how long they’ll be gone, or what documentation they’ll need to request, potentially disrupting operations and increasing the need for expensive temporary hiring or overtime.”
All workers will be able to claim a week of unpaid bereavement leave, which they can take at any time within 56 days of the person’s death, the legislation states.
While the most restrictive option includes just the immediate family, a much broader definition includes extended family and even close friends. It is understood that the legislation would not extend to the death of a pet.
Alex Hall-Chen, policy adviser at the Institute of Directors, told The Telegraph that workers may “only need to inform their employer on the day when taking bereavement leave, without a need to provide evidence, and that could happen multiple times a year. This would all be very hard for employers to plan for.”
Other measures, which the Government admits will cost companies £5 billion a year, include giving unions powers to access workplaces and giving workers extra rights to claim sick pay and parental leave.
Last night, Ms Rayner said the bill’s passage will be a “historic achievement for this Labour Government. It will benefit working people now and into the future.
“Now is not the time to blink or buckle. Let’s not waste a minute more. It’s time to deliver.”
