MPs call for miscarriage bereavement leave

A report authored by MPs suggests that parents who experience a miscarriage (the loss of a pregnancy within the first 23 weeks) should be legally entitled to paid bereavement leave. Currently, only parents who lose a child or baby after 24 weeks are entitled to two weeks of paid leave. However, a group of MPs are calling for the upcoming Employment Rights Bill to extend this right to all pregnancy losses.

A spokesperson for the business department stated that losing a baby is "incredibly difficult, and we know many employers show compassion and understanding in these situations." But Anna Malnar, who returned to work three days after a miscarriage, said, "I really didn't know how long was appropriate to take off, and I felt I needed to get back to work." Anna experienced three pregnancy losses in 2018.

Despite her boss being very supportive, she decided to return to work three days after her first miscarriage and was recorded as being on sick leave. After experiencing two more pregnancy losses, Anna said she "became like a shadow," struggling with stress and anxiety at work, which ultimately led her to leave her job. "I'm sure if I'd had time to recover properly and manage my return to work better, I could have continued in that job," she said.

Anna, who now has two children with her husband, volunteers at the Miscarriage Association. She believes that the right to paid bereavement leave would be "life-changing." When the couple experienced pregnancy loss, her husband attended meetings and work trips. "It was his child too. He never really got the time or space to grieve for himself," she said. Anna said this also meant he couldn't support her in the way he wanted to. "If there was a policy, it would make it easier for him to say, 'I'm going to take a couple of weeks off.'"

According to data in the cross-party Women and Equalities Committee report, it is estimated that over one in five pregnancies end before 24 weeks, and around 20% of women will experience baby loss in their lifetime. The committee recommends that bereavement leave be extended to include cases of ectopic pregnancy (where the baby grows outside the womb), molar pregnancy (where an egg is not correctly fertilized), failed IVF embryo transfers, and termination of pregnancy for medical reasons.

The committee acknowledged that several employers, including NHS trusts and co-ops, already have policies in place for staff who experience baby loss. However, it stated that this is not universal. The committee chair, Labour MP Sarah Owen, shared her own experience of baby loss. "I wasn't prepared for the shock of having a miscarriage at work during my first pregnancy," she said. "Like many women, I was legally required to take sick leave. But I was heartbroken, not sick, and in deep grief."

The report described sick leave as an "inappropriate and inadequate" way to support employees through baby loss, noting that low rates of statutory sick pay mean some people cannot afford the time off they need. Kath Abrahams, CEO of the pregnancy and baby charity Tommy's, said she hopes the government will act swiftly to change the law. "For too many women, the psychological and physical impact of pregnancy loss is compounded by the pressure to return to work immediately and the lack of time to grieve," she said. "It is unacceptable that sick leave often remains the only option, which can leave women and their partners financially vulnerable," she added.

The Employment Rights Bill is currently being considered in Parliament. The government has described it as "the biggest upgrade to workers' rights in a generation." A spokesperson for the Department for Business and Trade said: "Our Employment Rights Bill will establish a new right to bereavement leave, make flexible working and parental leave day-one rights, and strengthen protections for pregnant women and new mothers returning to work."