Miscarriage Leave Bill set for second reading in Parliament

The Miscarriage Leave Bill is set to receive a second reading in Parliament on Friday as women around the country move one step closer to enhanced statutory protections in the event that they lose their baby.

The current rules mean that employees only have the right to take statutory parental Bereavement leave on the death of a child under 18 years of age – including after suffering a stillbirth – and after 24 weeks of pregnancy.

Instead, campaigners such as Taylor Rose MW’s Keeley Lengthorn believe that baby loss policies adopted by companies – and with it the Miscarriage Leave Bill – should follow New Zealand’s pregnancy loss policy model, offering three days of paid bereavement leave to the mother (and their partner) in the event of losing a pregnancy before 24 weeks.

With the Bill now set to receive its second reading, there is no doubt that it is gaining momentum.

That said, progress, for now, remains limited – the second reading will come nearly a year-and-a-half after the Bill was first introduced into the Commons.

To help improve the Bill’s chances of becoming law, you can sign the petition here which has already reached nearly 4,000 signatures. Supporters can also send an email petitioning their MP. A helpful template is provided in the post below: