National Fertility Awareness Week – Workplace Pregnancy Loss Training

National Fertility Awareness Week: Legal Community Joins Forces in Support of Fertility Awareness and Pregnancy Loss.

Across the UK, over 3.5 million people are facing different forms of fertility issues right now, seeking hope, guidance and support.

National Fertility Awareness Week provides an opportunity for those facing similar issues to come together in solidarity, share their stories, and access key resources to help navigate their unique fertility journey.

Charities such as Fertility in the Workplace (FITW) are vital in helping businesses in the UK in implementing effective policies on fertility, whilst ensuring staff and managers understand the impact of fertility and treatment, allowing them to sufficiently support those around them.

Each year, it is estimated that around 250,000 miscarriages and 11,000 ectopic pregnancies occur in UK hospitals, with a quarter of all pregnancies in the country ending in loss.

It is therefore necessary that support at home and in the workplace is readily available for those who need it most.

National Fertility Awareness week is supported by Briefed, (a team of barristers that deliver specialist training, certification and support to the legal community) and have teamed up with solicitor and Pregnancy Loss campaigner, Keeley Lengthorn, to develop workplace pregnancy l training that helps law firms support their workforce in relation to baby loss.

Keeley Lengthorn, a partner in Family Law at Taylor Rose MW Solicitors, has suffered the heartbreak of losing three children in the space of three years. She is now trying to turn that tragedy into a positive by fighting to enact George’s Law, which would see employees given statutory time off to recover following the loss of a baby.

Read a little bit more about Keeley’s story here, and listen to her podcast episode here.

Keeley said:

“I am indebted to the whole team at Briefed for collaborating with me on my mission to legislate “Georges Law” and to raise awareness generally of baby loss.

I am determined to help bring about a change in the law. But this could take time. This training will help provide support right now to many employees who need it and for that reason it really can be a lifeline.”

Although targeting pregnancy loss specifically, the free training course provides a blend of workplace support in alignment with the ethos of National Fertility Awareness Week, offering insight for colleagues on how to provide support to those facing any type of fertility-related challenges.

This approach enables law firms and organisations to become not just empathetic workplaces but active allies for their employees dealing with fertility issues. It is a recognition that fertility awareness goes beyond infertility alone, encompassing surrogacy, assisted reproductive technologies, and the complex emotional landscape and journeys that many employees navigate.

By equipping employers with the knowledge and tools to provide this support, this training course ensures a more compassionate work culture that acknowledges the various stages of fertility, infertility and parenthood and the various routes into them.

Orlagh Kelly, barrister and CEO of Briefed is thrilled by the desire from the legal sector to improve workforce welfare and commented:

“In the three weeks since launch, we [Briefed] are delighted to have rolled out our training on pregnancy loss to more than 50 chambers and law firms, who are also dedicated to improving wellbeing in the workplace.”

If you think your law firm or organisation would be interested in the Workplace Pregnancy Loss training, visit the Briefed website here for more information.