Esther Marshall
Employment Advice
Early Pregnancy Loss – Changes to Rights for Bereaved Parents
Changes to statutory bereavement leave have been announced by the government, granting bereaved parents the right to two weeks’ leave following pregnancy loss before 24 weeks.
Currently, statutory bereavement leave is only available in cases of stillbirth (defined as the loss of a pregnancy after 24 weeks) or upon the death of a child.
The proposed changes, which will form part of the Employment Rights Bill currently making its way through Parliament, extend the right to 2 weeks of bereavement leave to mothers and their partners following a miscarriage at any stage of pregnancy.
The new law recognizes the physical and emotional effect of miscarriage at any stage, and is intended to allow bereaved parents time to start their recovery without the pressure of having to return to work immediately.
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Esther Marshall, Member, Solicitor and specialist in Employment Law, said:
“These changes will be welcomed by employees who up until now will have had to rely upon the goodwill of their employers to be allowed time off at an incredibly distressing time. If passed into law, employers will need to make sure that their policies reflect the changes and that all managers are aware of what staff are entitled to should they or their partner suffer a pregnancy loss. “