Solicitor calls for paid leave after miscarriages

Shahrzad Seifi believes the government should go further when it comes to bereavement leave

An employment solicitor who had multiple miscarriages has called on the government to provide two weeks of paid statutory leave for parents who experience a miscarriage before 24 weeks.

The government recently announced an amendment to the Employment Rights Bill to give parents the legal right to take time off work to grieve if they experience pregnancy loss at any stage.

Previously bereavement leave was only available to parents who lose an unborn child after 24 weeks of pregnancy.

But Shahrzad Seifi believes the government should go further, and added: "The ability to grieve should not be a luxury only afforded to a few."

Ms Seifi, who is based at Magara Law in Bicester, Oxfordshire, had two miscarriages, then gave birth to a healthy baby girl, had a third miscarriage, and then gave birth to her son.

She said: "Each of my losses was different, and each carried its own emotional and physical complexities, but each one required time and space to heal away from the workplace."

Parents are currently entitled to a fortnight's leave if they suffer pregnancy loss after 24 weeks, or if a child younger than 18 dies, forcing many others to take sick leave or unpaid time off.

Ms Seifi said: "Because there is no legal provision for these women, they are forced to share their intimate and personal experiences with their employer in order to get time off.

"This shouldn't be the case. Pregnancy loss is not a sickness with a clear set of symptoms.

"We know that one in four pregnancies ends in a miscarriage. The current approach in employment law is to ignore it. Change is long overdue."

Petition

The government estimates about 250,000 pregnancies end through miscarriage every year.

According to the pregnancy charity Tommy's, most take place in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

Ms Seifi believes it is unlikely that any changes to the new bill will be for paid leave, and has started a petition calling for two weeks of paid statutory leave for mothers and partners who experience pregnancy loss before 24 weeks.

She said a change "would not only benefit employees, but it would help employers retain staff who often struggle to return to work and leave the workforce altogether".

A government spokesperson said: "We recognise losing a baby at any stage is incredibly difficult, and that's why our Employment Rights Bill will ensure bereavement leave is widely available to those who need it.

"We will consult on further details, including the length of leave, to ensure this is shaped with the needs of both employees and employers at the forefront."