Six in ten people in the UK believe employers should provide paid bereavement leave for pregnancy loss before 24 weeks, according to new research. Currently, statutory bereavement leave only applies after 24 weeks of pregnancy, leaving many affected employees without financial support while grieving.

The findings, from HR research conducted by energy firm E.ON, also reveal that 57% of people believe maternity, adoption or equal parent leave should be provided for pregnancy loss beyond 24 weeks. Campaigners say the results highlight the need for urgent workplace reform to ensure employees receive proper support.

Pressure Mounts for Workplace Reforms

Working Families, an organisation advocating for parental leave reforms, is campaigning for paid leave for all parents who experience pregnancy loss before 24 weeks. The charity warns that many families struggle without statutory protection, forcing employees to either take unpaid leave or continue working through their loss.

The research also found 51% of employees are unaware of their company’s fertility and pregnancy policies, and just 27% are satisfied with their employer’s current level of support.

E.ON has implemented a policy that offers two weeks of paid leave for pregnancy loss before 24 weeks. Employees experiencing pregnancy loss beyond that time are covered by the company’s maternity and equal parent leave policy, which ensures fathers, LGBT+ parents, guardians, adoptive parents and kinship carers receive the same support as birth parents.

E.ON UK’s chief people officer, Helen Bradbury, said the company was committed to improving workplace policies for employees dealing with pregnancy loss:

“We’re proud to be one of the UK’s top inclusive employers, offering support to our colleagues in all aspects of their professional and personal lives so they can bring their best self to work,” she said. “For us, offering our colleagues comprehensive support when they need it is simply the right thing to do, and we encourage more employers to follow suit.”

She added that 37% of people believe workplace support should start as soon as an employee or their partner becomes pregnant, while 13% think it should begin even earlier — at the planning stage.

‘I Simply Couldn’t Have Coped with Coming into Work’

A personal account from an E.ON employee who suffered two pregnancy losses before 24 weeks illustrates why workplace support is essential. The employee described how compassionate management and paid leave helped them cope with the trauma:

“My first miscarriage was devastating, and I simply couldn’t have coped with coming into work. So it meant a lot to me that my manager was so understanding and allowed me to take the time I needed to come to terms with the emotional loss as well as the physical side of things.”

The employee explained that their second miscarriage began while they were at work, and they were relieved that E.ON’s policy allowed them to leave immediately without explaining the situation.

“I’m incredibly grateful and proud to work for a company that values not only my contribution at work but also me as a person. I honestly find it shocking that a decade after I was treated with the respect and kindness that I was at E.ON, many companies still do not make provisions for people in my position. In 2025, I really believe organisations can and should do better.”

The Case for Broader Family Leave

Support for more inclusive parental leave extends beyond pregnancy loss. According to the survey:

  • 64% believe employers should offer paid time off for pregnancy-related medical appointments.
  • 52% say leave should also cover accompanying a partner to pregnancy, surrogacy, or adoption-related appointments.
  • 62% believe paid time off should be available if a child is in neonatal care.
  • 56% support equal parent leave for fathers, LGBT+ parents, guardians, adoptive parents, and kinship carers.

Jane van Zyl, CEO of Working Families, said outdated laws leave too many families without support during difficult times. “Through our free legal advice line, Working Families see every day how crucial family-friendly workplace policies are to ensuring parents and carers can manage work and family life effectively,” she said.

“The current statutory parental leave framework leaves too many families unsupported during deeply challenging times, like pregnancy loss.”

She added that employers and policymakers should focus on ensuring all parents, regardless of their employment status, have access to leave and that statutory pay rates are high enough to make time off financially viable.

Flexible Working: A Key Solution

Beyond bereavement leave, E.ON has introduced a range of family-friendly workplace policies, including:

  • Unlimited paid fertility leave for employees undergoing treatment
  • Paid leave for surrogacy and adoption-related appointments
  • Flexible working arrangements, available from an employee’s first day

Over half of E.ON’s workforce now works flexibly, with options such as adjusted start times and compressed hours. Advocates say flexible working allows parents and carers to balance responsibilities while maintaining career progression.

With public pressure increasing, campaigners say it’s time for the government to modernise pregnancy loss and parental leave laws. Businesses failing to improve their policies risk losing employees to organisations with more progressive workplace support.