// Co-op has launched a new policy giving greater flexibility for paid leave for bereavement
// Colleagues can take up to 10 days paid leave when needed, at any time, regardless of the relationship to the person who has died
Co-op has launched a new leading colleague compassionate leave policy as it looks to better support its 57,000 colleagues when someone close to them dies or is seriously ill.
Ahead of Dying Matters Awareness Week, the group said it is committed to creating “a truly inclusive workplace and delivering a fairer world for colleagues”.
The refreshed policy focuses on giving flexibility to when paid leave is taken, tailored to best provide support for individual circumstances, giving managers the discretion to make the right decisions for each situation.
The retailer has also doubled the number of days paid leave to support colleagues through bereavement, from 5 to 10, regardless of the relationship to the person who has died.
It has also created a new flexible approach with its managers allowing for further paid days leave to be taken based on individual circumstances.
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It comes as research commissioned by Co-op with YouGov revealed that 62% of employees think bereavement should be treated as a workplace issue with support available for colleagues and over half of employees across workplaces in the UK say bereavement leave is an important issue.
Co-op chief people and inclusion officer Claire Costello said: “Here at Co-op, we want to support our colleagues when someone close to them dies or is seriously ill. We want everyone to ask for the support they need and will always handle things as sensitively as possible.
“We know that modern life can be complicated, so there are no restrictions about the relationships or situations that we give compassionate leave for. We also know that the death of someone close, or finding out about a terminal diagnosis, can affect people in different ways, so our new compassionate leave policy provides the right support to everyone.”
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