UK reward metrics · Time Off & Family

Do UK organisations provide paid emergency or compassionate leave?

Source lumi HRBase 241 organisationsFieldwork 2026 H1

70.1%Partially paid (case-by-case)

70.1% of organisations in the lumi HR community answered “Partially paid (case-by-case)” on paid emergency or compassionate leave (base: 241 UK organisations, 2026 H1).

Figures describe organisations in the lumi HR community, not a random sample of UK employers.

How UK organisations answered

Yes - paid leave is provided 15.4% Partially paid (case-by-case) 70.1% Unpaid only 10% No specific provision 4.6%
Paid emergency or compassionate leave (base: 241 organisations, 2026 H1). Percentages percentages may not sum to 100 because of rounding.
Paid emergency or compassionate leave: share of organisations by answer
AnswerShare of organisations
Yes - paid leave is providedrare15.4%
Partially paid (case-by-case)common70.1%
Unpaid onlyrare10%
No specific provisionrare4.6%

Common, alternative and rare describe how each answer sits against the community: the most chosen answer is common; an answer chosen by fewer than one in five organisations is rare.

Definition

Whether emergency or compassionate leave is fully paid, paid at discretion, unpaid, or not specifically provided. See the methodology for how the base is built, how not-applicable answers are handled, the public floor, and which organisations are excluded.

For context, CIPD "Reward Management Survey 2022: Focus on employee benefits" reports 86% (base: All-UK employers, ~280 reward professionals).

Cite this figure
Source: lumi HR, UK Reward Metrics, September 2026, lumihr.co.uk/metrics/paid-emergency-or-compassionate-leave
Last updated 19 September 2026 · Data licence: CC BY 4.0 for the figures in the CSV download.

See how your organisation compares

Members see their own organisation against the peer group, by sector and size, on every metric.

Book a call