Navigating time off work following a miscarriage or other pre-24 week loss currently depends on using pregnancy-related sick leave, annual leave, or individual employer bereavement policies, as statutory rights differ from losses occurring after 24 weeks. Upcoming UK employment law reforms aim to introduce dedicated statutory bereavement leave for early pregnancy loss, providing clearer protections and essential time to grieve for both parents.
What is miscarriage bereavement leave?
Miscarriage bereavement leave is a type of leave which you might be entitled to take, depending on where you live and your employer’s policies, following pregnancy or baby loss before 24 weeks.
Does statutory bereavement leave cover miscarriage?
Statutory leave is the legal right to time off work for employees.
Whether you are entitled to statutory bereavement leave after a miscarriage or pregnancy loss currently depends on where in the UK you live.
Miscarriage leave in Northern Ireland
Since April 2026, women and birthing people who experience a miscarriage or any other pre-24 week loss, and their partner, may be entitled to two weeks of paid leave and pay in Northern Ireland.
This leave can be taken flexibly as either one block of two weeks, a block of one week only or two blocks of one week each.
You can find out more information about entitlement to Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay here: Parental bereavement leave and pay - Bereavements on or after 6 April 2026 | nidirect
Current status of miscarriage leave in England, Scotland and Wales
Currently there is no legal right to take time off work after a miscarriage in England, Scotland and Wales.
Upcoming changes to employment law for miscarriage leave
It is expected that bereavement leave (including pregnancy loss) will be introduced in England, Scotland and Wales during 2027.
The UK Government have indicated that parents will be entitled to at least one week of unpaid bereavement leave following pregnancy loss.
We are awaiting an announcement from the Government to understand what leave will be available and when this might be available.
Your current options for taking time off work after a miscarriage and other pre-24 week losses
If you live in England, Scotland and Wales in the absence of a statutory bereavement leave after miscarriage or other pre-24 week losses, you may choose to use other leave entitlements to take time off work.
Taking pregnancy-related sick leave
You may choose to take time away from work following a miscarriage as pregnancy-related sick leave.
Taking pregnancy-related sick leave offers some legal protections, as this leave cannot be counted towards absences triggering reviews etc.
Using annual leave or sick leave
If you do not want to tell your employer about your miscarriage you do not have to and may prefer to take time away from work by using annual leave or taking sick leave from work. This is very much a personal choice.
Checking your employer's internal bereavement policy
Your employer may have a miscarriage or pregnancy loss policy in place which provides for time off work after a miscarriage. This may also be part of a wider bereavement policy. You can ask your HR department if they have these policies in place and if so where you can find these.
Does miscarriage count as parental bereavement leave?
Whether miscarriage counts as parental bereavement leave depends on where you live in the UK.
In Northern Ireland, Parental Bereavement Leave is available following a pregnancy loss or miscarriage.
In England, Scotland and Wales you cannot take Parental Bereavement Leave after a miscarriage or pregnancy loss. The UK Government have proposed introducing a separate Bereavement Leave (including pregnancy loss) which will be different from Parental Bereavement Leave.
Read more about Parental Bereavement Leave
The difference between pre-24 week and post-24 week baby loss
The language which bereaved parents use to describe their experience of pregnancy or baby loss is very personal. We know that not everyone uses, or aligns with the words miscarriage, stillbirth or neonatal death when talking about their baby.
When pregnancy loss happens or a baby dies before or during birth pre-24 weeks this will be recorded as a miscarriage, or late miscarriage.
When a baby dies before or during birth post-24 weeks this will be recorded as a Stillbirth.
If a baby is born alive at any stage of pregnancy, then their birth and death must be recorded as a neonatal death.
In Northern Ireland, there are no differences in the leave you are entitled to take no matter how far into your pregnancy you were when you experienced pregnancy or baby loss. Miscarriage, Stillbirth and Neonatal Death are all included within Parental Bereavement Leave.
In England, Scotland and Wales currently only those who have experienced Stillbirth or the death of a child before 18 (including Neonatal Death) are entitled to Parental Bereavement Leave.
Deciding what to share with your manager and colleagues
Pregnancy and baby loss is a very personal experience, and it is completely up to you what to share with colleagues. Your manager and HR department (if you have one) will need to know why you are off work, but beyond that you can share as many or as few details as feels comfortable.
We are here to support you and you can find more information about contacting your manager in our booklet.
In Northern Ireland to apply for Statutory Parental Bereavement Leave you will need to tell your employer:
- that you are entitled to leave on the grounds of miscarriage and the date you experienced pregnancy loss.
- When you would like your leave to start
- Whether you will be taking one or two weeks.
You do not need to share any details about the miscarriage, or provide medical evidence.
You will need to give your employer notice. If you are taking leave within 8 weeks (56 days) you need to let your employer know before you were due to start on the first day of leave. You can then immediately take leave. If you are taking leave after 8 weeks (56 days) you will need to provide one weeks notice.
Providing a medical fit note or baby loss certificate
In Northern Ireland you do not need to provide medical evidence to claim Statutory Parental Bereavement Leave. You should not be asked for this by your employer.
As there is no legal right to time off work after a miscarriage in England, Scotland or Wales your employer may have their own baby loss policies in place. You will need to check whether they have any requirements. Your employer may ask to see a fit note to record an absence as pregnancy related sickness.
Finding bereavement support for you and your partner
Sands is here to offer a safe space for anyone affected by pregnancy loss or the death of a baby whether, whether you’re a parent, sibling, grandparent, healthcare professional or friend. You don’t have to navigate this alone; we’re here to support you every step of the way. You can find out more about the different ways we offer support here: How we offer support | Sands
If you are an employer or manager and you would like to discuss how best to support a colleague or employee, you can:
- Call our helpline on 0808 164 3332
- Book in for a conversation with one of our Bereavement Support Officers
- Join one of our free webinars to learn more about creating a supportive workplace for people affected by pregnancy and baby loss.
Support the campaign for paid miscarriage leave
We support the Miscarriage Association’s Leave for Every Loss campaign. Whilst we welcome the UK Government’s announcement that they will be introducing bereavement leave after miscarriage or pregnancy loss, we will continue to campaign until all bereaved families are entitled to at least two weeks of paid leave.
FAQs
Are partners entitled to take time off after a miscarriage?
In Northern Ireland, partners are entitled to the same two weeks of paid bereavement leave as the mother or birthing person. You can check eligibility here: Parental bereavement leave and pay - Bereavements on or after 6 April 2026 | nidirect
In England, Scotland and Wales currently there is no right to Statutory leave after a miscarriage. Partners will need to check their companies’ HR policies to see what leave entitlements their employers may offer.
When launched, we are expecting bereavement leave to be available to partners in England, Scotland and Wales.
Can taking pregnancy-related sick leave affect my employment record?
Pregnancy-related sick leave should be recorded separately from other leaves and should not count towards absence policies. You can find out more information on the Acas website here: Sickness and difficult pregnancies - Pregnancy at work - Acas
Do I receive my full normal pay while off work for a miscarriage?
In Northern Ireland, the rate of Statutory Parental Bereavement Leave Pay is currently either £194.32 a week or 90 per cent of your average weekly earnings (whichever is lower).
In England, Scotland and Wales there is no Statutory right to pay following a miscarriage or pregnancy loss.
No matter where you live in the UK, you should check your employer’s HR policies to see whether they offer paid leave. Some employers may have pregnancy or baby loss policies/ bereavement leave policies which mean you can take paid time away from work after a miscarriage (in Northern Ireland, this could be additional to Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay).