The UK just gave moms miscarriage leave—why doesn’t the U.S. do the same?

Losing a pregnancy is devastating. And yet, for so many women, the world expects them to move on as if nothing happened. In the UK, that’s starting to change—and now, change is going even further.

A new amendment to the Employment Rights Bill would entitle parents to bereavement leave after any pregnancy loss—extending the right even to miscarriages that occur before 24 weeks. It’s a major shift in recognizing what families have always known: pregnancy loss isn’t just a medical event. It’s a life-altering emotional trauma that deserves space and support.

As Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner put it, “No one who is going through the heartbreak of pregnancy loss should have to go back to work before they are ready.”

The proposal would grant at least one week of unpaid leave for parents grieving an early miscarriage. Previously, only those who experienced loss after 24 weeks—or the death of a child under 18—were entitled to bereavement leave. Now, the law aims to catch up with how loss is actually experienced.

Musician and broadcaster Myleene Klass, known for her work on miscarriage awareness, called it a long-overdue shift. “You’re not ill, you’ve lost a child, there’s a death in the family,” she told the BBC. “To lose a child is harrowing, it’s traumatic.” 

And for women who lose a child to miscarriage, it’s also a physically traumatic event, from which they need time to heal.

What happens when moms miscarry in the U.S.?

If a mom in the U.S. loses a pregnancy, here’s what she’s up against:

• No guaranteed time off: There’s no federal law giving women time to grieve or recover.
• FMLA doesn’t always apply: The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) might cover miscarriage, but only if a healthcare provider deems it a “serious medical condition.” And even then, it’s unpaid.
• It’s up to the employer: A handful of companies offer miscarriage leave, but for most women, it’s completely at their boss’s discretion.

Zero acknowledgment: Many workplaces don’t even recognize pregnancy loss as something that deserves time off. Moms are expected to show up like nothing happened.

In the words of Labour MP Sarah Owen, “We know so many women just will not take it, and it also enforces the feeling that there’s something wrong with you.” Owen, who chairs the Women and Equalities Committee in the UK, has been vocal about how little current laws recognize grief. She described miscarriage as an experience where “nobody says ‘get well soon’… they say ‘I’m really sorry for your loss’.”

Related: Germany just guaranteed miscarriage leave. Why doesn’t the U.S.?

Why this matters

For so many women, miscarriage isn’t just an emotional heartbreak—it’s a physical recovery. It can mean cramping, heavy bleeding, hormone crashes, exhaustion, and even surgery. Yet moms in the U.S. are often left with two impossible choices: burn through their sick days (if they even have any) or go back to work while they’re still bleeding.

Even in the UK, this new measure is only a starting point. The expanded right to leave will be unpaid, and exact details—like whether a doctor’s note is required—are still under consultation. But it’s a signal. One that says: we see your pain, and it matters.

According to the UK government, approximately 250,000 pregnancies end in miscarriage every year, and most happen within the first 12 weeks. That’s hundreds of thousands of parents navigating grief, often in silence.

As Vicki Robinson, chief executive of the Miscarriage Association, told the BBC: “It can be really anxiety-inducing going back to work when you’re still grieving your loss.” She noted that partners, too, are typically left out of workplace protections entirely.

The business community agrees. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) stated that “good employers recognize the importance of supporting their staff to take the time they need to grieve.”

So why is the U.S. still making moms suffer in silence?

A few states, like California, have started offering short-term unpaid leave for pregnancy loss. And some forward-thinking companies, like Monzo, Zip Co and Deutsche Bank have introduced paid miscarriage leave. But it’s still the exception, not the rule.

Meanwhile, countries like the UK and New Zealand are leading the way in recognizing pregnancy loss—and that grieving parents shouldn’t have to spend their first days after a miscarriage sitting at a desk, pretending to be fine.

Related: How to reduce miscarriage anxiety during pregnancy, according to experts