New Zealand's parliament deliberated unanimously on Wednesday to enable mothers and their partners three days of paid bereavement leave following a miscarriage. While employers in the nation were already required to offer paid leave in the event of pregnancy loss, there was some uncertainty surrounding the eligibility.
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The country's parliament has unanimously passed legislation providing working mothers and their partners the right to paid leave following the traumatic experience. This is what is believed to be one of the first provisions of its type in the globe.
Passed by parliament on Wednesday, the bereavement allowance provides employees three days' leave when a pregnancy ends with a miscarriage. This is rather than forcing them to allocate their sick leave for the event.
New Zealand is the second nation to implement such. According to Labor Party MP Ginny Andersen, who initiated the bill, "The passing of this bill shows that once again New Zealand is leading the way for progressive and compassionate legislation, becoming only the second country in the world to provide leave for miscarriage and stillbirth," reported Independent.ie.
The remarkable new bill clears out ambiguity surrounding qualifications. It extends benefits to anyone who loses a pregnancy. Previously, grieving couples had to allot their sick leaves when tackling the end of a pregnancy.
Aside from extending to a woman's partner upon suffering a miscarriage, it will also be extended to people who were attempting to have a child through surrogacy. Before the bill's approval, New Zealand already offered paid leave for mothers who experienced a miscarriage following 20 weeks or more of pregnancy.
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Although the bereavement leave in the country was already provided after an employee experienced the death of a child, the law did not make it clear whether this included developing embryos or unborn children. Parents looking to adopt a child and partners having a baby through surrogacy are now also entitled to bereavement leave on the unprecedented end of the relevant pregnancy, reported JOE.
The legislation's advocates hope it not only offers grieving couples financial stability but also paves the way for more open discussion regarding miscarriages. Many find these painful and uncomfortable to seek help for or discuss.
According to Andersen, "The grief that comes with miscarriage is not a sickness -- it is a loss. That loss takes time. Time to recover physically and time to recover mentally. Time to recover with a partner, because often, the mother is not alone in her grief," reported Yahoo News.
The most recent progress means that paid leave is extended to pregnancy losses that occur at any point and not just following 20 weeks. The bill is not applicable to abortions.
The US does not have any laws requiring employers to grant leave to people who suffer through a miscarriage. In the UK, those who suffer a miscarriage following 24 weeks could receive paid time off. In Australia, they are entitled to unpaid leave following 12 weeks. Indian law offers six weeks of leave for stillbirth.
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