Parents Guaranteed Paid Leave After Miscarriage Under New British Bill

The loss of a pregnancy at any stage can be devastating, and it’s about time we started treating it as such. A new British law aims to do just that by guaranteeing parents up to two weeks of paid bereavement leave following a pregnancy loss or the loss of a child.

British mothers and their partners were previously guaranteed the right to two weeks of bereavement leave if they have suffered a miscarriage or pregnancy loss after 24 weeks of gestation. The new law notably expands upon this, ensuring the same right to those who experience a pregnancy loss before 24 weeks.

This update marks an important step forward as conversations around miscarriage come out of the shadows, and the emotional toll of pregnancy loss is more widely recognized. According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 4 pregnancies end in miscarriage, with most occurring before 28 weeks. This legislation ensures that those most likely to experience miscarriage are given the time to process their loss.

Labour MP Sarah Owen, who championed the bill, previously shared her own personal experience while advocating for the change. “I was not prepared for the shock of miscarrying at work during my first pregnancy. Like many women, I legally had to take sick leave,” she told The Guardian. “But I was grief-stricken, not sick, harbouring a deep sense of loss. Miscarriage and pregnancy losses can be devastating for women and their families, with both emotional and physical consequences. Such experiences are sadly not uncommon and yet current legislation has not caught up with this stark reality.”

Vicki Robinson, chief executive of the Miscarriage Association, echoed the need for change. “Requiring someone to take sick leave after a miscarriage reinforces harmful feelings of failure or self-blame. While it involves physical symptoms, miscarriage is not simply an illness and it’s time for the law to reflect this.”

Part of a broader employment rights bill introduced under the Labour Party’s workers’ rights reforms, the legislation is set to pass through the House of Commons next week. In addition to providing paid leave for pregnancy loss, it guarantees bereavement leave for parents who lose a child or a partner during childbirth in England, Wales and Scotland.