So what should you do if you have been recently bereaved? First of all, check your company’s bereavement or compassionate leave policy. This information should either be in your contract, your employee handbook or a company intranet if available. “Many organisations do specify a certain amount of ‘compassionate leave’. For example, five days with the caveat that each situation be reviewed on its own merits and subject to management discretion,” says Martine Robins, the director of The HR Department Woking . After you’ve clued yourself up, you should contact your line manager or HR department as soon as possible to notify them of your situation. “If for any reason you are unable to do this, then you should ask someone close to you to do so,” says Martine. By contacting your work and explaining the situation, you will not only ensure that you are following the guidance stipulated by the Employment Rights Act but will also allow your employer to “ascertain, if possible to do so, what impact this will have on you.”