Early pregnancy endings are an overlooked workplace issue – here’s how that could change

In the UK, early pregnancy endings are defined as pregnancies that end before 24 weeks’ gestation. These include miscarriages^[1], abortions (sometimes called terminations)^[2], ectopic pregnancies^[3] where an embryo implants outside of the womb, and molar pregnancies^[4] where an embryo is non-viable. These are very common – and sometimes traumatic – experiences, so they are issues that all employers should be thinking about.

Best estimates suggest that, for every three live births (of which there were 591,072 in England and Wales^[5] in 2023), there is approximately one abortion and one miscarriage.

Despite their frequency, these endings are still a taboo subject^[6] in the workplace. There are only a handful of academic publications on miscarriage as a workplace issue. Even fewer focus on abortion: we have found only one example^[7], a large survey from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Although some UK employers offer paid leave for pregnancy endings, this entitlement is not widespread practice and usually only covers miscarriages. In the UK, clothes retailer ASOS^[8], broadcaster Channel 4^[9] and online bank Monzo^[10] are among the rare examples whose policies cover abortions as well.

Compared with pregnancies ending without a live birth from 24 weeks onwards, there is little statutory protection^[11] in the case of early pregnancy endings. Yet research shows these experiences can have significant effects on those who carry the pregnancy in particular.

One study^[12] of women who had a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy found that 29% had PTSD symptoms a month afterwards, with 18% continuing to meet the same diagnostic criteria eight months later. Depression and anxiety were also relatively common among this group.