Paid miscarriage leaves evaluated in Britain after NZ parliamentary bill
In March 2021, the New Zealand Parliament unanimously passed a bill offering employees paid leave post-miscarriage. New Zealand was the second country globally to do so, following India's lead. In India, the Maternity Benefit Amendment Act 1961 offers six weeks of paid miscarriage leave.
The bill has sparked global interest, putting Miscarriage bereavement and stillbirths in focus in the corporate realm, prompting companies in different parts of the globe to recognize the same.
British companies YuLife and Monzo have already altered their leave policies to accommodate paid miscarriage leave. And pressure groups are pushing the British government to legally recognize the right of working parents to be eligible for paid miscarriage leave.
Monzo has introduced paid miscarriage leave as a benefit for its employees and has additionally introduced paid leave for employees undergoing fertility treatments and. The employees or their partners can now avail themselves of up to 10 days of additional paid leave. The benefit is extended to colleagues who are spouses/partners and surrogate mothers too.
Another British firm, YuLife, an insurance company, has started offering its employees five days of paid miscarriage leave. The leave can be availed by the employee who has experienced the miscarriage or their spouse/partner.
Current UK Law allows compassionate leave for British women in the case of stillbirth and those who suffer miscarriages often lose on casual leaves to recover from the loss.
