Workers must have the legal right to paid time off after a miscarriage, delegates from NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union will argue today.

As the law stands, workers experiencing miscarriage before the end of their 24th week of pregnancy are not statutorily entitled to maternity leave or pay, any pay or time off is at discretion of their employer. 

The NASUWT will be moving a motion at the TUC Congress in Brighton calling for miscarriage to be included within statutory maternity, paternity and parental bereavements rights so that workers experiencing the trauma of miscarriage have the right to paid time off. 

Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT General Secretary, said:

“Miscarriage comes with huge emotional, and often physical, implications. Estimates vary, but around one in five pregnancies in the UK is thought to end in miscarriage, meaning tens of thousands of workers are affected each year. 

“Workers experiencing the trauma of miscarriage have to rely on the goodwill of their employer if they need time off after experiencing a miscarriage. 

“The previous government failed to act and we are now asking the new government to introduce legislation to extend rights to all workers experiencing miscarriage.

“Workers experiencing miscarriage should not have their grief compounded by having to go cap in hand to their employer or worrying about whether they can afford time off. In a compassionate society, paid miscarriage leave should be a statutory right for all workers in all sectors.”