Bonnier Books UK is today introducing a dedicated policy to support its employees through all types of pregnancy loss.
The company consulted the charity Tommy’s (www.tommys.org) to create the policy, which recognises that pregnancy loss affects women and their partners. The policy will offer paid leave and flexible working arrangements to support employees back to work following their loss.
Tommy’s estimates that 1 in 4 pregnancies ends in loss, with many happening before a woman is even aware that she has become pregnant. This could mean that pregnancy loss happens before a woman has announced she is pregnant, and which may be one of the reasons why employees find it particularly difficult to ask for support from their employer.
Anna MacLaren May, HR Director, said:
“We know policies on their own, whilst a brilliant first step, are not enough to create the supportive environment needed to break the silence around pregnancy loss. We will be working with organisations such as Tommy’s to ensure that our employees receive the practical and emotional support they need.”
Acknowledging that the experience of pregnancy loss varies from person to person, the policy does not prescribe a specific number of days paid leave. Instead, the company will work with people individually, and make arrangements that work for their own circumstances.
The full policy is available to download here.
