The UK government has announced that it plans to give two weeks of unpaid bereavement leave to women who have abortions. The new rule will expand on bereavement leave, which was supposed to be for women who miscarried or lost a child in a stillbirth after 24 weeks.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said in a post to X, "It’s estimated that one in five women in the UK will experience a miscarriage in their lifetime. But if you lose a pregnancy before 24 weeks, there is currently no legal right to bereavement leave. I don’t think that’s right. Losing a pregnancy can be devastating. You and your partner shouldn’t have to worry about going straight back to work. So we’re changing the law. From April, women and their partners will be entitled to two weeks off after any pregnancy loss."
"Any pregnancy loss" includes abortion. The move highlights logical inconsistencies with abortion law in the UK. Currently, abortion is legal up to 24 weeks in the country. Bereavement is definitionally the state or period of sorrow when you lose someone close to you. If a baby is not worthy of life before 24 weeks, hypothetically, there should be nothing to be sorrowful over when an abortion takes place.
"And we’re making wider changes, with new rights to time off when you lose someone you love. When you’re grieving, you deserve the time and space to do that," Burnham added.
TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said, “No one experiencing the devastating loss of a loved one or a pregnancy should have to worry that they cannot take the time off to grieve."
“Most employers already provide workers with time off after bereavement. But these new protections will make sure all working families have the time and space they need during some of life’s toughest moments," he added, per the Independent.
The new law will give time off work for those who are spouses, step-siblings, and also have foster care or adopted relationships. Previously, only parents who had lost a child under 18 or had a stillborn after 24 weeks had the legal right to bereavement leave.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said in a post to X, "It’s estimated that one in five women in the UK will experience a miscarriage in their lifetime. But if you lose a pregnancy before 24 weeks, there is currently no legal right to bereavement leave. I don’t think that’s right. Losing a pregnancy can be devastating. You and your partner shouldn’t have to worry about going straight back to work. So we’re changing the law. From April, women and their partners will be entitled to two weeks off after any pregnancy loss."
"Any pregnancy loss" includes abortion. The move highlights logical inconsistencies with abortion law in the UK. Currently, abortion is legal up to 24 weeks in the country. Bereavement is definitionally the state or period of sorrow when you lose someone close to you. If a baby is not worthy of life before 24 weeks, hypothetically, there should be nothing to be sorrowful over when an abortion takes place.
"And we’re making wider changes, with new rights to time off when you lose someone you love. When you’re grieving, you deserve the time and space to do that," Burnham added.
TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said, “No one experiencing the devastating loss of a loved one or a pregnancy should have to worry that they cannot take the time off to grieve."
“Most employers already provide workers with time off after bereavement. But these new protections will make sure all working families have the time and space they need during some of life’s toughest moments," he added, per the Independent.
The new law will give time off work for those who are spouses, step-siblings, and also have foster care or adopted relationships. Previously, only parents who had lost a child under 18 or had a stillborn after 24 weeks had the legal right to bereavement leave.
