The UK government has expressed support for introducing bereavement leave for couples who experience a miscarriage, marking a significant step toward recognizing the emotional toll of pregnancy loss. Business Minister Justin Madders told MPs that he “fully accepts” the principle of bereavement leave for pregnancy loss and pledged to explore adding this right to the Employment Rights Bill. Currently, parental bereavement leave is only available for stillbirths occurring after 24 weeks of pregnancy. Labour MP Sarah Owen, who chairs the Women and Equalities Committee, has been advocating for this right to be extended to miscarriages occurring before 24 weeks.
Madders praised Owen for her “great bravery” in sharing her personal experience of miscarriage, highlighting the need for time to grieve and recover after such a loss. Owen and her committee have proposed amendments to the bill, ensuring two weeks of leave for parents bereaved by pregnancy loss. While the proposed leave is currently unpaid, advocates like Vicki Robinson of the Miscarriage Association see it as a “significant step forward” in validating the grief associated with early pregnancy loss.
The Employment Rights Bill also aims to strengthen workers’ rights in areas such as unfair dismissals, flexible working, and sick pay. However, Conservative shadow business minister Greg Smith criticized the bill for allegedly favoring employee rights over employer interests. Meanwhile, amendments proposed by MPs Stella Creasy and Layla Moran seek to enhance protections for paternity leave and ban non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) in cases of workplace sexual misconduct, respectively.
The government’s commitment to miscarriage bereavement leave has been welcomed as a progressive move, though further discussions and reviews are expected as the bill progresses through Parliament.
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