Miscarriage and the workplace
An estimated one in four pregnancies ends in miscarriage. A smaller but significant number will be ectopic or molar pregnancies. Some people will experience multiple losses. Most workplaces have staff who have been or may be affected.
But many employees don’t know their rights and employers rarely have policies in place to help. Managers are not always clear on their responsibilities and colleagues may not know what to say.
We have created this resource hub to help everyone involved. It contains information and support for employees, employers and managers, HR, and colleagues. All the resources are based on research and consultation with workplaces and staff across the UK. You can find our research summary here.
With miscarriage being so common, it’s highly likely a large amount of my workplace has been through one or several miscarriages, but no one feels comfortable to talk about miscarriage openly. It makes experiencing a miscarriage even more of a stigma.
We have organised the information into categories to help you find the relevant material quickly – but you may find it helpful to explore more widely.
We have also published a leaflet that provides a summary of the key information.
You are also welcome to contact us if you’d like to talk more about our information and guidance, how to create a supportive environment or potentially how to set up a policy in your workplace.
The Pregnancy Loss Pledge
Find out more about our Pregnancy Loss Pledge and how employers can get involved in our campaign.
Training and Consultancy
Find out about our training and consultancy services here.
Information for employers and managers
In this section you’ll find information to help you understand more about miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy and molar pregnancy and how these might affect an employee at work.
Read more:
- How to support employees before, during and after a loss (including employees’ rights and your responsibilities)
- Talking about miscarriage in the workplace: a guide for employers and managers
- Training and consultancy
Information for HR
In this section, you’ll find information to help you support employees who experience a miscarriage – and their managers.
Read more:
Information for employees who experience miscarriage
In this section you’ll find information about your rights, and support to help you manage your relationship with work alongside your recovery.
Read more:
Information for colleagues
In this section, you’ll find information to help you offer support to colleagues who experience miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy or molar pregnancy.
*We often use the term ‘miscarriage’ to include miscarriage, ectopic and molar pregnancy. If a baby is stillborn after 24 weeks gestation, the law and employees’ rights are very different. Maternity Action has more information. All our information is based on UK law and practices only.
