New Zealand will offer people who experience pregnancy loss three days of paid leave, following a unanimous vote in parliament.
The Bereavement Leave for Miscarriage Bill is reportedly a world first and will come into effect in the next few weeks.
Prior to the bill, New Zealand already offered paid leave in the event of stillbirths, when pregnancy loss happens after 20 weeks. The latest development means that paid leave is extended to pregnancy losses that occur at any point, not just after 20 weeks.
The paid leave applies to both the pregnant person and their partner. The legislation does not apply to abortions.
So, how does this law compare to other countries? Australian people who experience miscarriage after 12 weeks are allowed to take unpaid leave, while in the UK, people who suffer stillbirths after 24 weeks are entitled to paid leave. In the U.S., there is no such provision for leave after pregnancy loss.
Ginny Andersen, the Labour MP behind the bill, said New Zealand “may well be the first country” to introduce such a law. “But all the countries that New Zealand is usually compared to legislate for the 20-week mark,” said Andersen.
“I felt that it would give women the confidence to be able to request that leave if it was required, as opposed to just being stoic and getting on with life, when they knew that they needed time, physically or psychologically, to get over the grief,” she said.
Final reading of my Bereavement Leave for Miscarriage Bill. This is a Bill about workers’ rights and fairness. I hope it gives people time to grieve and promotes greater openness about miscarriage. We should not be fearful of our bodies. pic.twitter.com/dwUWINVjLm
— Ginny Andersen (@ginnyandersen) March 24, 2021
Rest of the world, take note.