Baby Loss Awareness Week
With it being Baby Loss Awareness Week which is something the Prime Minister Andy Burnham has provided his thoughts on recently which affects employers we wanted to share some insights and real life comments on this sensitive topic.
What did the PM say?
In a recent LinkedIn post Andy Burnham shared:
"It’s estimated that one in five women in the UK will experience a miscarriage in their lifetime.
But if you lose a pregnancy before 24 weeks, there is currently no legal right to bereavement leave.
I don’t think that’s right.
Losing a pregnancy can be devastating. You and your partner shouldn’t have to worry about going straight back to work.
So we’re changing the law.
From April, women and their partners will be entitled to two weeks off after any pregnancy loss.
And we’re making wider changes, with new rights to time off when you lose someone you love.
When you’re grieving, you deserve the time and space to do that."
Baby Loss Experience
When we discussed this announcement as a HR team one of our associates talked about their lived experience as an employee who lost a baby. They've kindly given their insights in a short Q&A session.
If you have been affected by this topic please read the following with caution.
Q: Andy Burnham has announced 2 weeks leave, would this have helped you?
A: I didn't want anyone to know, I literally called my line manager and asked her not to share the information with anyone. That was my way of protecting myself; I didn't want to get back to work and have people talking to me about my experience. So for me personally it would have depended what the process was within my work place to access that two weeks leave. If it meant a number of people knowing why I was off or having to fill in special forms I am not sure it would have been what I wanted due to how I personally handled my own miscarriage.
Q: How did you handle your absence from work?
A: I called my line manager and told her I had just had a scan and it showed that my pregnancy had failed which meant I needed medical treatment. I then called team members to hand over work, I did have a pressing project on that I needed to hand over in full to another colleague but I did not tell them why, I just said I don't know when I will next be in due to a medical emergency. I did all this whilst having had the treatment and waiting for my body to process it. I honestly am not sure why my first thought was work other than I am a pretty committed individual and take my responsibilities seriously and perhaps it was a way to avoid thinking about what was currently happening.
Q: Did you need support at work straight away?
A: Well I had a couple of days off sick and returned to work, I didn't want to talk to anyone about why I had been absent and when one colleague guessed I answered with a short 'yes but I don't want to talk about it'. So whilst I might of needed support my coping mechanism was not to discuss this within my workplace but then I have always held that distinct line between work and personal life.
Q: Do you think a leave of 2 weeks straight after would have helped you?
A: In hindsight yes, it would have given me time to process my loss and maybe helped my mindset for my next (successful) pregnancy. Burying myself in work just a few days after miscarrying probably wasn't the most sensible thing to do. If I had needed sick leave for this my employer would have accommodated that, I also think it's not just the woman that needs some time to process - the men (aka Dads) are often forgotten in this situation. So perhaps this announcement needs to be for PARENTS to take together. That would have been very powerful for me and my husband.
Our HR expert Gemma commented the following: "I think the recent announcement from Andy Burnham is part of the governments way of continually supporting employees as individuals. I think the 2 weeks gives individuals some time to process what has happened both mentally and physically."
What is the current status?
Under UK employment law, employees who experience the loss of a baby or welcome a baby who requires neonatal intensive care (NICU) may be entitled to specific statutory leave and pay.
In England, Scotland and Wales, parents who experience a stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy, or whose child dies before the age of 18, are entitled to up to two weeks of Parental Bereavement Leave, with Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay available to eligible employees. However, where a miscarriage occurs before 24 weeks of pregnancy, there is no general statutory entitlement to parental bereavement leave, although employees may be able to take pregnancy related sick leave or compassionate leave in accordance with the circumstances and their employer’s policies. Employees who give birth are generally entitled to up to 52 weeks of maternity leave, while eligible partners may qualify for paternity leave and pay.
Since 6 April 2025, eligible working parents whose baby requires neonatal care can also receive Neonatal Care Leave and, if they meet the relevant conditions, Statutory Neonatal Care Pay. This provides one week of leave for every seven full, continuous days their baby receives qualifying neonatal care, up to a maximum of 12 weeks, in addition to other parental leave entitlements.
Employers should ensure that employees are treated sensitively, understand their statutory rights, and are signposted to any additional compassionate leave, flexible working arrangements or enhanced benefits available under company policy.
