Families across Great Britain will gain new legal protections allowing employees time off work following pregnancy loss or the death of a close relative, under changes confirmed by the government.
From April 2027, employees who experience pregnancy loss before 24 weeks will be entitled to up to two weeks of unpaid bereavement leave. This covers miscarriage, terminations, and unsuccessful IVF embryo transfers. The provision extends to the person who experienced the pregnancy loss, their partners, the other biological parent, and intended parents in a surrogacy arrangement.
The same entitlement will apply when an employee loses a spouse or partner, parent, adult child, or sibling. It will also cover step, half, adoptive, kinship care, and foster relationships, which currently have no statutory right to bereavement leave.
These measures form part of the Employment Rights Act 2025 and create a day one right to unpaid leave. Employees can take the time flexibly within 56 weeks of the loss, including as individual days rather than a continuous block. Those taking leave within the first eight weeks need only notify their employer as soon as reasonably practicable. No evidence of the loss is required, protecting privacy at a distressing time. Workers exercising the right are protected from detriment or dismissal.
Until now, statutory Parental Bereavement Leave has been limited to parents who lose a child under 18 or experience stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy. There has been no legal right to time off for earlier pregnancy losses, despite estimates that 1 in 5 women in the UK experience a miscarriage during their lifetime. Around 250,000 pregnancy losses caused by miscarriages occur in the UK each year, with a further 12,000 linked to ectopic pregnancies.
Minister for the Future of Work Kate Dearden said: “No one should have to fight for time to grieve. These changes back people going through some of the hardest moments of life, whoever they are and wherever they work. I want to thank the campaigners, whose courage and testimonies have made this change happen.”
The government emphasised that while many employers already offer compassionate leave, often paid, a statutory safety net is needed beyond employer discretion. The measures apply in England, Scotland, and Wales.
Dr Clea Harmer, Chief Executive of Sands, said: “Today’s announcement of leave for parents following miscarriage or pregnancy loss is an important step in recognising that the death of a baby at any stage of pregnancy is a bereavement. While it is disappointing that it is unpaid it is a first step in ensuring that bereaved parents can get the time they need following earlier losses.”
“We urge the Government to go further and ensure that all parents whose baby dies are entitled to at least two weeks of paid bereavement leave, as is the case in Northern Ireland.”
“Sadly, we know that in-work poverty is a very real situation for many people in the UK, so for many people unpaid leave is simply not an option. Time to grieve and seek support if you need it should not depend on your income.”
“Parents have told Sands that not getting paid time off work after pregnancy loss means they often suffer at work unnecessarily, face financial difficulty, and cannot grieve in the way they need to.”
“We encourage all employers to go further and consider what support they can offer bereaved parents beyond the legal minimum. Sands offers training that helps employers understand the reality of baby loss and the difference meaningful support can make. And we are here to support everyone touched by pregnancy or baby loss for as long as they need.”
Vicki Robinson, Chief Executive of Miscarriage UK, welcomed the two-week minimum and inclusion of partners as important recognition of pregnancy loss as a bereavement, while stressing the need for paid provision.
The Confederation of British Industry noted that many businesses already provide compassionate leave and said it looks forward to working with the government and unions on the practical details.
These reforms build on existing rights and form part of wider efforts under the Make Work Pay plan to support people remaining in work while easing pressures on family life. A broader review of parental leave and pay is continuing, covering areas such as support for parents of terminally ill children.