Grief support | Co-op doubles bereavement leave in 'market leading' move

The Co-op has announced it will be doubling its paid leave for bereaved staff from five to ten days, in a move described as a ‘market-leading policy.’

The implementation will mean that 57,000 Co-op workers can take up to ten days paid leave when someone close to them dies or becomes seriously ill. This is up from five days, giving managers more flexibility in giving out more paid leave if they feel it’s necessary.

UK workers are entitled to time off if someone close to them dies or is seriously unwell, but it is up to employers to decide how much time an employee gets off, and there is no legal right for a worker to be paid for this time off.

A ‘market-leading’ move

The self-proclaimed ‘market-leading’ policy, because it’s available to all staff from their first day of employment, is yet another rule introduced by the Co-op to create a better workplace for employees and increase its competitive appeal against other retailers. Last year, the Co-op introduced paid time off for staff attending appointments related to fertility treatments.