Who is the bereaved person?

The Government has published four new consultations on the following areas:

• Leave for bereavement including pregnancy loss;
• enhanced dismissal protections for pregnant women and new mothers;
• trade union right of access; and,
• duty to inform workers of right to join a union.

Key issues include introducing a new general test for fairness when dismissing a pregnant woman or new mother, narrowing the scope and/or removing some of the fair dismissal reasons, and eligibility for bereavement leave, pregnancy loss, and the length of it. For example, one question is whether bereavement leave for pregnancy loss should be limited to who has physically experienced it, and if someone other than that person should be entitled to bereavement leave, who else should be entitled. These are not easy questions.

Further issues are likely to include the practicalities of accommodating access requests and the administrative consequences of informing staff of their ability to join a union on a regular basis.

Please use the above links if you would like to follow or contribute to the consultation.