Women and their partners who experience a pregnancy loss before 24 weeks will from next April be entitled to up to two weeks of unpaid statutory bereavement leave. The move, announced by the government on Monday, extends the existing framework to include miscarriage, termination and unsuccessful IVF embryo transfers, marking a significant shift in how workplace grief is recognised across Great Britain.
The Employment Rights Act 2025 establishes this new entitlement for employees who suffer the loss of a spouse, partner, parent, adult child or sibling, alongside step and half relatives, foster, kinship care and adoptive relationships. Currently, no statutory protection exists for workers experiencing early pregnancy loss, despite estimates suggesting one in five women in the UK face miscarriage. The expansion aims to address what ministers describe as “inconsistency and confusion” that left many grieving families without formal recognition in the workplace.
Work Minister Kate Dearden emphasized the human dimension behind the policy change. “No-one should have to fight for time to grieve,” she stated. “These changes back people going through some of the hardest moments of life, whoever they are and wherever they work.” The announcement follows extensive consultation with employees, employers and advocacy groups, with over 80 per cent of organisations expressing support for the expanded bereavement provisions.
The new right will apply to partners, the other biological parent, or intended parents in surrogacy arrangements when pregnancy loss occurs. This legal recognition acknowledges that such losses affect entire families, not just the pregnant individual. The Department for Business, Innovation and Trade confirmed that while most affected workers already receive understanding from employers, a statutory safety net is necessary to ensure consistent protection across all workplaces.
Campaigners have welcomed the development, though advocacy groups continue pressing for paid leave. Vicki Robinson, chief executive of Miscarriage UK, described the extension as “an important step in recognising pregnancy loss as a bereavement and the profound impact it can have.” However, she noted that her organisation “still strongly believes bereavement leave should be paid” and will continue advocating through their “leave for every loss” campaign.
The Trade Union Congress has also voiced support for the measure. General Secretary Paul Nowak argued that “no one experiencing the devastating loss of a loved one or a pregnancy should have to worry that they cannot take the time off to grieve.” He suggested that stronger workers’ rights benefit both employees and employers, providing “time and space they need during some of life’s toughest moments.”
Expanding the Scope of Recognised Loss
The legislation significantly broadens the definition of bereavement leave beyond traditional family relationships. Previously, employees could only take statutory leave for the death of a child under 18 or a stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy. The new provisions extend this protection to include step and half relatives, reflecting modern family structures and caregiving arrangements that may not fit conventional definitions.
Employers who participated in the consultation process broadly supported the expansion, with nine in ten organisations representing business backing the measures. The government’s decision to make the leave unpaid rather than paid reflects ongoing debates about fiscal responsibility and the practical realities of implementing universal paid bereavement provisions across diverse business sizes and sectors.
The inclusion of pregnancy loss represents a cultural shift in how society understands and validates grief. For many couples, the loss of a wanted pregnancy constitutes a profound bereavement that deserves formal recognition alongside other family losses. The legislation specifically covers miscarriage, medical termination, and unsuccessful IVF transfers, ensuring that the circumstances of loss do not diminish its emotional significance.
Employer Support and Implementation Challenges
While the consultation revealed strong employer backing for bereavement leave following the death of immediate family members, the implementation of pregnancy loss provisions presents new challenges for workplace managers. The two-week unpaid period may create scheduling difficulties for smaller businesses while potentially creating disparities between public and private sector organisations in their support provision.
Labour shortages and productivity concerns may emerge as practical considerations for employers seeking to balance employee wellbeing with business continuity. The government’s emphasis on creating a “safety net beyond discretion” suggests recognition that voluntary employer policies alone proved insufficient to guarantee consistent support across all workplaces.
Training and guidance for managers will likely become crucial components of successful implementation. The Department has indicated that further guidance will be developed in collaboration with advocacy groups to ensure that the legal framework translates into meaningful workplace practice. This approach mirrors successful models in other jurisdictions where bereavement support policies have been accompanied by comprehensive manager training programmes.
Ongoing Campaigns and Future Reforms
The announcement forms part of a broader government review of parental leave and pay that encompasses several high-profile campaigns. “Hugh’s Law” seeks to establish statutory paid leave for parents of seriously ill children, while proposals for terminally ill children’s parents continue to gain traction. These parallel initiatives suggest a comprehensive re-evaluation of how employment law addresses life’s most challenging moments.
Advocacy groups view the pregnancy loss extension as a foundation rather than a conclusion to their work. Miscarriage UK’s continued pursuit of paid leave indicates that the current unpaid provision may represent a minimum standard rather than comprehensive support. The “leave for every loss” campaign reflects growing public awareness about the need for proportional recognition of different types of bereavement.
The timing of the announcement coincides with increased public discourse about workplace flexibility and mental health support. As remote and hybrid working arrangements become more common, employers are increasingly recognising the importance of structured policies that support employee wellbeing during personal crises. The statutory extension may accelerate this trend by establishing clearer expectations for all employers regardless of their existing policies.
Why it Matters
This legislative change represents more than a workplace policy adjustment—it signals a fundamental shift in how British society recognises and validates different forms of grief. By extending bereavement rights to include pregnancy loss, the government acknowledges that emotional trauma does not discriminate based on timing or circumstances. For the estimated one in five women who experience miscarriage, and the countless partners and families who share this devastating loss, formal recognition in law provides both practical protection and profound validation of their experience. The measure strengthens the employment rights safety net while setting precedent for future expansions of recognised bereavements. Most significantly, it moves beyond viewing pregnancy loss as a medical event toward understanding it as the family loss that it truly represents, potentially reducing the isolation that many grieving parents currently endure in the workplace.
