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British parents will soon have the right to two weeks of bereavement leave following a miscarriage, as part of a significant amendment to Labour’s employment rights bill. This law, which will take effect across England, Wales, and Scotland, extends bereavement leave to parents who experience pregnancy loss before 24 weeks of gestation. Previously, such leave was only guaranteed for stillbirths or losses occurring after 24 weeks.
The change, which aims to address the emotional and physical toll of miscarriage, is expected to benefit approximately 250,000 women in the UK who experience a miscarriage each year. Research indicates that between 10% and 20% of pregnancies end in miscarriage during the first trimester, highlighting the necessity of this new legislation.
While some employers currently offer bereavement leave for miscarriage as a discretionary benefit, the new law will establish this as a universal right. Advocates argue that this change is essential for recognizing the often-overlooked grief associated with early pregnancy loss.
The bereavement leave amendment is part of a broader employment rights bill that includes several other worker protections. Proposed reforms encompass improved protections for trade unions, a ban on exploitative zero-hours contracts, and measures to restrict the practice of fire-and-rehire. Additionally, trade unions will benefit from expedited decision-making processes and enhanced digital access to employees, which could improve outreach to gig-economy workers.
Despite these advancements, critics emphasize that more work is necessary to address the broader inequalities faced by working parents in the UK. As the employment rights bill moves closer to final approval in the House of Commons, attention shifts to the effective implementation and enforcement of these new rights.
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