From Monday 6 April, parental bereavement leave in Northern Ireland will be extended to include families who experience pregnancy or baby loss before 24 weeks.  

Launched in Northern Ireland in 2022, parental bereavement leave enables eligible employees to take up to two weeks of paid leave from work following baby loss.  

Previously, this had only been available to families who experience a stillbirth after 24 weeks or the death of a child under 18 and if you have worked for your employer for a set number of weeks.  

But from Monday 6 April parental bereavement leave in Northern Ireland will become a day one employment right and be available to families who experience pregnancy or baby loss.  

"The introduction of Miscarriage Leave in Northern Ireland is simply the right thing to do and is a big moment for anyone affected by pregnancy loss who will now have vital paid time to recover, knowing they will be treated with compassion and given time to grieve.  

Paid leave should be part of a package of support that employers offer to ensure the safety and wellbeing of bereaved employees. This includes having pregnancy and baby loss policies in place, and training for managers and staff on how to support colleagues returning to work. No bereaved parent should have to return to work before they're ready. 

Sands is committed to working with employers to remove barriers for colleagues returning to work following pregnancy or baby loss. The charity offers bereavement in the workplace training for any employer." 

- Sands Chief Executive, Dr Clea Harmer 

This will make Northern Ireland the first part of the UK to offer paid leave following pregnancy loss. The UK Government must now follow Northern Ireland and extend parental bereavement leave to all families who experience pregnancy or baby loss in England, Scotland and Wales. And across the UK, Governments must do more to support bereaved families who are self-employed. 

What is parental bereavement leave? 

From 6 April, bereaved families who experience any type of pregnancy or baby loss may be entitled to:  

1. Two weeks of leave, which may be taken as one block of two weeks or two blocks of one week 

2. Statutory parental bereavement rate of £194.32 or 90% of weekly earnings, whichever is the lower amount  

You should only be asked to make a self-declaration that you are eligible and will not be required to provide any medical evidence. 

This leave should be seen as the minimum, and employers should consider how they can support bereaved colleagues in their own policies, such as paid leave and flexible working.  

How this will make a difference

Karina from Belfast experienced two miscarriages and found that her employer, Ulster Bank (part of the NatWest Group), manager and colleagues were supportive despite there being a gap in policy for her pre-24 week loss. She welcomes the introduction of paid miscarriage leave. She said, “The key difference this change in the law would have made to us is clarity. There would have been no uncertainty or grey areas about our rights or entitlements during such a difficult time.

"At a point when you’re dealing with emotional and physical loss, the last thing you should have to worry about is navigating policies, contacting a GP for immediate certification or repeatedly explaining your situation. Clear, defined leave will provide parents with reassurance when it’s needed most and remove additional stress. It’s a great step forward.”

Read more about Karina's story.

Kelly, also from Northern Ireland, has experienced 11 miscarriages but sadly did not receive the support she required. She said, “During my losses, at times, I continued to work having miscarriages at my desk as I did not want to take time off sick as I wasn't sick, I was suffering a loss and was a bereaved parent however it wasn't seen as this. Other times I would have a D&C in the morning and be back at my desk in the afternoon. I rarely took time to recover emotionally.

"Paid miscarriage leave is a positive step to acknowledging miscarriage as a bereavement too...this leave would have shown my baby did exist and it’s okay to grieve the baby. For me it’s a big deal that this new leave will be classed as bereavement leave, as I was forced to take sick leave when I wasn’t sick. It’s important for families that their babies are recognised and their loss is recognised no matter what gestation the loss is.”

Read more about Kelly's story.

How Sands can support  

If you are an employer or manager and you would like to discuss how best to support a colleague or employee who has experienced pregnancy or baby loss, you can call our helpline. They can help you think through practicalities and sensitivities around time off, returning to work, and ensuring your workplace is a supportive environment for all.