Rachel has applauded the announcement by the government that it will introduce a legal right to bereavement leave for parents who suffer a miscarriage as part of Labour’s Employment Rights Bill. The change in the law had originally been recommended by parliament’s Women and Equalities Select Committee, of which Rachel is a member.
The new law – part of the largest expansion of workers’ rights in a generation – will ensure that individuals who experience a miscarriage before 24 weeks of pregnancy to take at least one week of bereavement leave. This new right will apply to both the person who was pregnant and their partner.
Currently, statutory bereavement leave is only available for parents who experience a stillbirth after 24 weeks or the death of a child under 18. The new policy aims to acknowledge the emotional and physical toll of early pregnancy loss, which affects around 250,000 women each year in the UK, most commonly during the first 12 weeks.
The exact length of the new leave will be decided after a public consultation. The change has been welcomed by campaigners and advocates who have long called for recognition of miscarriage as a significant loss, including members of the Women and Equalities Committee like Rachel who had recommended the change.
The policy is part of a broader overhaul of employment rights and parental leave under the current government, with the changes expected to come into effect in 2027.