Marvin Onumonu21% of employees felt they needed more time off work to grieve following a bereavement, up from 15% in 2023, research from MetLife has found.
The study, which surveyed working adults who experienced bereavement in the past two years, revealed that 55% took up to eight weeks to feel normal at work.
For 13% of working adults, it took more than eight weeks to recover fully.
Additional support, such as access to counselling, was desired by 17% of respondents.
Practical support, like help with contacting accountants or closing bank accounts, was noted by 15%, and 12% appreciated assistance with funeral planning.
Charlotte O’Brien, head of employee benefits at MetLife UK, said: “We know that compassionate leave policies differ across the UK, with the average time given being between three and five days.
“Yet our research shows over half of the bereaved say it takes between one and eight weeks to feel like themselves at work.”
O’Brien added: “That’s 50% of workers back in the workplace physically but not mentally; there is a clear disparity between what is given and what is needed.
“While there is nothing we can do about the length of compassionate leave in the UK, we can help change how supported workers are when they are naturally not themselves.”
