DHL, Kraft Heinz and John Lewis Partnership extend bereavement support to all staff

Three major UK employers have moved to formalise bereavement support as a structured employee benefit, with DHL, Kraft Heinz, and John Lewis Partnership all rolling out a comprehensive practical and emotional support package through Octopus Legacy, part of the Octopus Group, to their entire workforces by the end of June.

Employee Benefits reported that through the scheme, employees at all three organisations will be able to access specialist, human-to-human support to help navigate the practical and emotional challenges that follow a bereavement, including estate planning services and a dedicated helpline covering practical, emotional, financial, and legal questions arising after the death of a loved one.

Bereaved staff will also receive a tailored plan covering the practical, legal, and emotional steps required in the days, weeks, and months following a death. A bereavement adviser can take on the practical administrative workload on behalf of the employee, including closing accounts, notifying organisations, and making arrangements, freeing the individual to focus on home and work responsibilities.

Debbie Fennel, head of benefits at DHL Supply Chain UK and Ireland, said the move builds on existing support already in place. She said: "Bereavement is one of the hardest moments any employee can face, which is why we already provide bereavement support, counselling, and access to a helpline as part of our wellbeing benefits. We know people need care that is immediate, practical and human."

Fennel highlighted that the most significant burden of bereavement often remains invisible to managers in the workplace. She said: "We also know some of the hardest parts of grief are the least visible at work. A manager may see that someone needs time, flexibility or care, but not necessarily the call to the bank at lunch, the form being filled in late at night, or the documents being chased between shifts and we do not want our employees carrying that burden alone."

The simultaneous adoption of the scheme by three employers of significant scale, spanning logistics, food manufacturing, and retail, reflects a broader trend in which HR teams are moving beyond policy-level bereavement provisions, such as leave entitlements, toward active, practical support that reduces the administrative load on grieving employees.

See the full details of the DHL, Kraft Heinz and John Lewis bereavement support rollout.