The Bereavement Leave Act No. 77/2022 takes effect on January 1st 2023
On January 1st 2023, The Bereavement Leave Act No. 77/2022 takes effect. The aim of the Act is to ensure that parents have room to grieve after the loss of a child, and to support surviving siblings in adapting to changed circumstances. It is also intended to increase the likelihood of parents successfully entering the labour market and being able to actively participate in society again after the loss of a child. The Act covers the rights of parents who have been working continuously in the domestic labour market to bereavement leave, as well as payments to compensate for loss of income during the period of the bereavement leave. The Act also covers the right to bereavement grant for parents who are outside the labour market or have worked in an employment ratio less than 25% and for parents studying full time. Parents’ entitlement to a bereavement leave or bereavement grant is up to six months from the day they suffer the loss of a child, and it expires 24 months later.
The entitlement to payments due to stillbirth or miscarriage which was a part of The Act on Maternity/Paternity Leave and Parental Leave will from January 1st 2023 be a part of the Bereavement Leave Act No. 77/2022. Parents’ entitlement due to stillbirth is up to three months from the day when stillbirth occurred after 22 weeks of pregnancy, and two months in cases of miscarriage after 18 weeks of pregnancy. The entitlement expires 24 months after stillbirth or miscarriage.
Maximum payments on bereavement leave due to the loss of a child will be 600.000 kr. per month according to the bill. Parents can also utilize their entitlement to bereavement leave alongside reduced employment ratio and also for a longer period, as results from research demonstrate the importance of as much participation as possible in the labour market for individuals who experience trauma in their lives.
From January 1st, it will be possible to apply for bereavement leave or bereavement grant on The Maternity /Paternity's web page.
Further information about bereavement leave can be found here.
