Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Paid Miscarriage Leave

08 March 2022 · 6 other contributors · 4,878 words

Opened by Angela Crawley SNP Lanark and Hamilton East

Responding minister: Paul Scully

EmploymentBenefits & WelfareWomen & Equalities

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Angela Crawley raised concerns about paid miscarriage leave in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • One pregnancy in four ends in miscarriage.
  • Miscarriage includes ectopic and molar pregnancies, rare but serious conditions.
  • Stigma around miscarriage prevents open discussion and support.

Key requests to Government

The Government must consider the proposed employment Bill to ensure provisions for paid miscarriage leave are included, benefiting women and their partners facing baby loss. The UK should follow international best practices by introducing statutory paid miscarriage leave across all sectors.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Angela Crawley SNP Lanark and Hamilton East

One pregnancy in four ends in miscarriage. Miscarriage is often used as an umbrella term for various conditions, including ectopic and molar pregnancies. An ectopic pregnancy occurs once in every eighty cases. The stigma around the subject of miscarriage prevents women from discussing it openly, leading to significant grief and potential workplace discrimination. Women fear disclosing their pregnancy status before 12 weeks due to employer discrimination concerns. Miscarriage leave should be a recognised right, not an illness or holiday.

Other contributors (6)
  • David Linden SNP Glasgow East

    David Linden highlighted a constituent's personal experience with miscarriage and called for better support through charities, counselling services, and certification. He also emphasised the importance of decoupling bereavement leave from the Employment Bill to expedite legislative progress.

  • Derek Thomas Con St Ives

    Supported the case for paid leave, citing a situation where an employee suffered multiple miscarriages and faced discrimination from their employer.

  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    Congratulates the hon. Lady and shares an office staff member's experience with multiple miscarriages, arguing that compassionate leave should be legislated for.

  • Jonathan Edwards

    Echos support for the hon. Lady's work on miscarriage leave, advocating for social reforms as part of creating a kinder society post-pandemic.

  • Maria Miller

    Pays tribute to the hon. Member for her campaigning and mentions a higher likelihood of pregnancy loss among black and minority ethnic women.

  • Olivia Blake Lab Sheffield Hallam

    Supports the hon. Lady's work and highlights the Lancet's series on the mental health impacts of miscarriage, questioning if flexible working is sufficient as an alternative to statutory leave. Olivia Blake questioned how insulting it is for someone grieving a miscarriage to be told to take annual leave instead of providing specific bereavement leave.

Government Response

Paul Scully

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mrs Cummins. I congratulate the hon. Member for Lanark and Hamilton East on securing today's important debate on paid miscarriage leave. This is a really important and sensitive issue, and I express my deep sympathy for anybody who has experienced the loss of a baby. The Government understand that there is plenty more that needs to be done to support women's health, including in the workplace. In March 2021, we announced the establishment of England's first women's health strategy, which includes priority areas such as fertility, pregnancy, pregnancy loss and postnatal support. We also know that damaging taboos and stigmas remain around many areas of women's health, preventing women from starting conversations about their health or seeking support for a health issue. The Government are determined to tackle these issues by ensuring women feel supported in the workplace and breaking down taboos through open conversation. One example is the introduction of parental bereavement leave and pay for employed parents who lose a child under 18, or suffer a stillbirth from 24 weeks of pregnancy. This recognises that the death of a child or the stillbirth of a baby is particularly tragic, although parental bereavement leave does not apply when a baby is lost before 24 completed weeks of pregnancy. Women who are not able to return to work because of ill health following a miscarriage may be entitled to statutory sick pay or annual leave and their entitlements need to be looked at in the round with the wider benefits system. Parental bereavement leave and pay is a statutory minimum, but many good examples of businesses offer compassionate leave for employees following a miscarriage. We are mindful of placing additional burdens on business, but strongly encourage employers to go beyond the statutory minimum wherever they can. Employees who are not eligible for statutory sick pay may be eligible for universal credit or employment and support allowance. The Government have also commissioned guidance from ACAS on managing a bereavement in the workplace, which has been well received and was updated in 2020 to take into account the introduction of parental bereavement leave. We will outline employment measures when parliamentary time allows.

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