Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month
October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, a topic close to home here at Grounded HR as Julia Beeby, one of our Lead HR Consultants, and her husband experienced a neonatal death and became one of the 1 in 4 parents to lose a baby when their first-born daughter, Skylar-Mae Hope unexpectedly died at 4 days old.
Pregnancy and Infant Loss is the loss of a child to miscarriage, stillbirth or a neonatal death and the causes for these losses can vary.
Dr Clea Harmer, chief executive of Sands Charity UK (Sands), The Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Charity, said: "Sadly, the death of a baby is not a rare event but too often, bereaved parents are faced by a wall of silence because people around them, family, friends, and colleagues, are lost for words.”
Julia, is passionate about breaking the silence on this topic, raising awareness, and highlighting some practical employer support.
Julia says “Although it has now been ten years since the sudden death of our first-born daughter the grief and trauma are very much still present, I just choose to use this as motivation and to honour her memory in a positive way. The cliché of 'life goes on’ is very true and I am certainly kept busy with our Rainbow Daughter. However, Skylar-Mae ensures she pops into my thoughts at some point every day. “
Death is never an easy subject
"Death is never an easy subject and when a baby dies it is even harder to talk about," Sands. Tommy Pregnancy Charity found in their May 2022 survey that managers do not know how to support employees after pregnancy (and infant loss).
Sands studies have shown some interesting facts employers should be aware of when it comes to baby and infant loss and the workplace:
- Research suggests that women need 8 weeks off work following a miscarriage.
- 10% of parents remain off work for at least 6 months following a stillbirth.
- 38% of mothers and 21% of partners reduce their working hours following their baby’s stillbirth/neonatal death.
We agree with Sands that "When workplaces empower, encourage and support bereaved colleagues, their mental and physical wellbeing is improved, and they can thrive and remain productive as they grieve."
Julia says, "After the initial shock of the situation one of the most meaningful things was people simply saying I’m sorry and letting me talk about Skylar-Mae. At the time Caroline and I were colleagues, and we shared the same GP surgery."
"I clearly remember meeting Caroline, by chance, when I was at the GP in the very early days. Caroline was one of the first work colleagues I’d come face to face with. Caroline expressed her sympathy and talked to me as normal simply asking me (and my husband) how we were doing. There are a few poignant moments that have stuck with me from those early days.”
Employment Law
Employment Law around the different types of baby loss determines what type of leave parents are entitled to:
- Miscarriage
Any baby loss* before the 24th week is classed as a ‘miscarriage’. Employees are not entitled to maternity/paternity or shared parental leave or pay. Employees can be signed off unfit for work with a fit note from their GP, which may entitle them to statutory sick pay, or if in place, company sick pay. Employers can also consider compassionate leave and pay, at their own discretion.
As of the 9th October 2024 the Government have launched a scheme which enables parents of babies lost before 24 weeks of pregnancy to apply for a certificate of loss. Providing bereaved parents with the opportunity to recognise their experience more formally.
*The certificate covers all types of loss that occurred before 24 weeks; early, late or missed miscarriages; chemical pregnancy loss following an embryo transfer; a termination for medical reasons; molar pregnancy; extremely premature birth; and ectopic pregnancy.
For more information, including how to apply for a baby loss certificate please see https://tommys.org/about-us/news-views/baby-loss-certificates-your-questions-answered
- Stillbirth: this is when a baby is born dead after the beginning of the 24th week of pregnancy.
- Neonatal: this is when a baby is born alive but dies within the first 28 days of life.
In the event of a stillbirth or neonatal death employees are entitled to maternity/paternity leave and pay, with maternity leave starting the day after birth. Pay may be in the format of the maternity allowance depending on if the employee meets the maternity pay qualifying criteria. A certificate of stillbirth will be provided as evidence from medical staff. Employees are also entitled to paternity leave and pay.
The Parental Bereavement (Leave and Pay) Act which came into effect April 2020 entitles employees to two weeks’ paid leave which can be taken from the date of the stillbirth or death up to the 56 weeks.
Shared Parental leave may also be available if notice has been given before the birth that this was intended. Shared Parental leave allows the parents to share the mother’s maternity leave, it is not ‘extra’ leave. Employees are not entitled to book shared parental leave following the death of their child.
Baby Loss Awareness Alliance
Led by Sands the Baby Loss Awareness Alliance encompasses over 100 charities that help raise awareness, carry out vital research and offer support to bereaved parents. In collaboration with the Miscarriage Association, they created a video giving some insight into the turmoil of feelings bereaved parents face: https://youtu.be/cE6YDul0Zws
It is also important not to forget the father/partner at this time, as it can be easy to place the focus on the mother. You may have one or both parents working for you.
Some great practical tips on how to support bereaved parents can be found in the downloadable pdf from Sands https://www.sands.org.uk/our-work/our-strategy-and-impact/work-and-baby-loss-essential-services-employers-quick-dos-and
How can you help?
The Wave of Light is an annual global event that takes place on October 15th as part of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. It’s observed by people across the world to honour and remember babies who have died due to miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal death, or other pregnancy and infancy losses.
Participants in the Wave of Light are encouraged to light a candle at 7 p.m. local time and keep it burning for at least one hour. This creates a continuous “wave of light” across the globe as different time zones light their candles, symbolising remembrance and the shared journey of grief and healing.
The event provides an opportunity for bereaved parents, families, and friends to come together in solidarity and aims to break the silence around these types of losses.
Join us on 15th October each year in remembering all the babies that have been lost. Sands have a virtual Wave of Light memorial which can be found here: https://visufund.com/blaw-candles-of-love/?p=3
If you have an employee who is experiencing baby loss, and need support at this sensitive time, please get in contact for help on how to support them. In addition getting leave and pay options correct is crucial and can help alleviate a small amount of stress in a time of crisis. If you are faced with this situation Grounded HR are here to help guide you through. Please contact us at hello@groundedhr.co.uk