Business Secretary 'will not yet commit to backing miscarriage leave amendment'

Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Jonathan Reynolds at the North East Growth Summit in Sunderland.
-Credit:Iain Buist/Newcastle Chronicle


The Business Secretary has expressed his "sympathy" towards a proposed amendment aimed at extending bereavement entitlement for miscarriages occurring before 24 weeks, although he has not committed to backing it just yet.

He suggested there might be a "better mechanism" than the Employment Rights Bill to advance this cause, which is where the Women and Equalities Committee, led by Luton North MP Sarah Owen, plans to propose an amendment.

Since April 2020, employees have been entitled to statutory parental bereavement leave and pay in the event of a stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy, but no specific leave exists for miscarriages before this period. The committee is pushing to grant a two-week leave period to those grieving due to a pre-24 week pregnancy loss.

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Jonathan Reynolds shared on ITV’s Good Morning Britain: "I know how important this is. Like a lot of people I’ve had some experience of this myself.

"It’s very, very difficult, and of course, the campaign being put forward there, I’m sympathetic to what they’re trying to achieve. I haven’t seen the amendment yet because the report stage hasn’t been scheduled, and then we’ll be able to get that. I’ve got to balance the rights in that Bill against the overall burdens on business."

The Employment Rights Bill is set to introduce a new right to bereavement leave from the first day of employment. Mr Reynolds stated his intention to work towards delivering the change on bereavement entitlement for pregnancy loss and to engage with the amendment once it is presented.

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He suggested that the forthcoming Equality Bill might offer a more suitable avenue for implementing the change, saying, "There might be a better mechanism to take this forward but I understand the very good motivation on the personal experiences that have driven that campaign."

The committee highlighted that it's estimated over one in five pregnancies end before 24 weeks, with early miscarriage occurring in 10% to 20% of pregnancies within the first 12 weeks. While MPs recognised that an increasing number of employers, including NHS trusts and the Co-op, have introduced specific pregnancy loss leave and pay policies, they noted there are still "very substantial gaps in provision".

Labour MP Ms Owen, who was unprepared for the emotional impact of her own miscarriage, had to legally take sick leave. She strongly advocates for legal reform: "The case for a minimum standard in law is overwhelming. A period of paid leave should be available to all women and partners who experience a pre-24-week pregnancy loss. It’s time to include bereavement leave for workers who miscarry in new employment rights laws," she asserted.