If the employee intends to begin parental bereavement leave within the first 56 days of the date of the child's death, they can take the leave straightaway. They do not have to provide a period of notice, meaning that they can let you know of their intention to take parental bereavement leave at any time before they would have been due to start work.
However, this may not be feasible and notice can also be provided as soon as it is "reasonably practicable" to do so. You should therefore take an exceptionally sensitive and flexible approach when it comes to obtaining an employee's notice to take parental bereavement leave.
If the employee intends to begin parental bereavement leave more than 56 days after the child's death, the bereaved parent has to give us at least one week's notice of their intention to take parental bereavement leave.
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