Sick note for bereavement
When grief means you cannot work: compassionate leave, your legal rights, and when a doctor's note is the right route.
The short answer. Grief itself is not an illness, so time off after a death is usually agreed with your employer as compassionate or bereavement leave. If grief is affecting your health and you cannot work, that is different: you can self-certify for the first 7 days, and after that a doctor can assess you and may give you a note.
We are sorry for your loss. This page is about the practical side of work, so you can sort it out quickly and get back to what matters.
Can you get a sick note for bereavement?
Not for the loss on its own. Sick notes, NHS or private, are for your own health, and the NHS is clear that grief affects everyone differently and there is no right or wrong way to feel. Feeling shocked, sad or exhausted after a death is a natural response to loss, not in itself a medical condition.
Grief can, though, affect your health. The NHS says that if you are feeling increasingly depressed or anxious you may need medical help, and lists a low mood lasting more than 2 weeks as a reason to see a GP. If that is where you are and you cannot work, a doctor can assess you. If they find you are not fit for work, they may give you a note.
Time off after a death: what you are entitled to
Compassionate leave. Most time off after a bereavement is agreed with your employer. Acas says it might be called compassionate, bereavement or special leave, and the amount depends on your employer’s policy or your contract.
Pay. There is no legal right to paid time off for bereavement, unless you are eligible for Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay after the death of a child, although many employers choose to pay. Where there is no policy, Acas says the time could be treated as sick leave, or as holiday if you ask, and that you should get your usual sick pay or holiday pay.
Time off for dependants. If the person who died was a dependant, such as a partner, child or parent, employees have a right to a reasonable amount of time off, and Acas says this includes arranging or attending a funeral. It does not have to be paid.
Losing a child. If your child dies under 18, or you have a stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy, you can take 2 weeks of Parental Bereavement Leave for each child, from your first day in the job, if you are an employee and meet the eligibility rules.
What is coming. A wider right to bereavement leave, including pregnancy loss, is scheduled for April 2027 in Great Britain under the Employment Rights Act 2025. It is not in force yet, so do not rely on it for a loss now.
If you need help now. If you feel you cannot keep yourself safe, or someone’s life is at risk, call 999 or go to A&E now. For urgent mental health help that is not an emergency, use 111 online or call 111 and choose the mental health option. Samaritans answer free on 116 123, day or night.
When compassionate leave runs out
This is the point many people search for a sick note. Start by talking to your employer: they may extend the leave, let you use holiday, or agree unpaid time. If you are unwell rather than not yet ready, the usual sickness rules apply. You can self-certify for the first 7 days, and statutory sick pay is paid from your first full day off if you qualify. The self-certification guide explains how that works.
If you are off for longer, you will need a note from a doctor. Your GP is the usual route. A private sick note from a GMC-registered UK doctor is another, after an online assessment; the doctor may decline if a note is not clinically appropriate, and your employer decides whether to accept a private certificate.
Support
The NHS points to Cruse Bereavement Support for help with grief, and you can refer yourself to an NHS talking therapies service if you are 18 or over (16 or over in some areas). If grief has turned into something that feels like depression, speak to your GP.
Going back
A gradual return is worth asking for after a loss, even if you were not formally off sick. See phased return to work, and the time off by condition hub for the rules that apply to every absence.
Common questions
Can you get a sick note for bereavement?
Not for the bereavement itself. Grief is a natural response to loss, and a note can only be given for your own medical problem. If grief is affecting your health and you cannot work, a doctor can assess you and may give you a note.
Do I need a sick note for bereavement leave?
No. Compassionate or bereavement leave is agreed with your employer under their policy, not certified by a doctor. A note only comes in if you are unwell.
Is bereavement leave paid?
Apart from Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay after the death of a child, if you are eligible, there is no legal right to paid time off for bereavement, though many employers pay it. If your employer treats the time as sick leave, you should get your usual sick pay.
What if compassionate leave runs out and I am not ready to go back?
Talk to your employer about more leave, holiday or unpaid leave. If you are unwell, you can self-certify for the first 7 days and then see a doctor.
Is there a legal right to bereavement leave?
Partly. Employees have a right to reasonable time off, which does not have to be paid, if a dependant dies, including to arrange or attend the funeral. For the death of a child under 18, or a stillbirth after 24 weeks, eligible employees can take 2 weeks of Parental Bereavement Leave. Wider statutory bereavement leave is scheduled for April 2027 and is not in force yet.
Related
Sources. The legal, pay and clinical facts on this page were checked against these primary sources on 27 October 2026. Rules and rates change, and your employer’s own policy may add to them, so check your contract or HR policy too.
Unwell after a bereavement?
If grief is affecting your health, a GMC-registered UK doctor can assess you online and decide whether a private sick note is appropriate. £47.
Start your consultationAssessed by a GMC-registered UK doctor. Full refund if a note cannot be issued on clinical grounds.