23 Aug Solicitor calls for firms to introduce baby loss policies
A solicitor who has lost three children in the space of three years has called on businesses across the country to introduce a new baby loss policy as she bids to change the law.
Keeley Lenghthorn is lobbying for a new Miscarriage Leave Bill to ensure parents across the UK get time to grieve.
Currently in the UK, if a baby is stillborn after 24 weeks of pregnancy, or dies shortly after birth, employees remain entitled to maternity or paternity leave and pay. If a pregnancy is lost before 24 weeks, any leave at all is at the discretion of the employer.
The offer of leave, if there is one, may currently take the form of annual leave, unpaid leave or come under a compassionate leave policy if one is in place.
In an exclusive interview with GB News, crusading Keeley Lengthorn, a partner at Taylor Rose MW Solicitors, told Gloria De Piero: “Unfortunately, I experienced three different losses. I had a miscarriage at six and a half weeks. Two years ago, I miscarried at work.
“A year later, I then had an ectopic pregnancy, which ruptured and resulted in the removal of one of my fallopian tubes and then undertook IVF in September last year.
“It was successful, I had one embryo that survived and had a good pregnancy but then my waters broke unfortunately at 22 and a half weeks. My son George was born sleeping on the third of March this year.”
Months before losing George, Keeley had successfully persuaded her company to introduce a baby loss policy.
Tragically she ended up being the first person in the business who needed to use it.
Explaining the background behind her fight Keeley, 39, from Bromley, south London, said: “At the end part of 2021, it became very apparent to me that New Zealand was taking a lot of action in terms of supporting employees at work.
“The New Zealand president has enacted a policy which meant that every employee who suffered a miscarriage no matter what their gestation was entitled to three days paid leave.
“So I drafted a policy and I presented it to my firm, Taylor Rose MW Solicitors, and I asked for it to be enacted in the business. It was enacted in January of this year.
“Unfortunately, I was the first person to use it. So when I lost George, I was fortunate enough to have the full support of the business and which meant that I got paid.
“It was very apparent to me very quickly from people reaching out to me that there is no statutory protection for any pregnancy loss beyond 24 weeks.”
Asked if her campaign is supported by politicians, she said: “Angela Crawley MP got in contact with me and I met with her in Parliament and she was very, very interested in my story and has now brought forward the Miscarriage Relief Bill.
“That had its first reading at the end of June and I was very fortunate that Angela included me and George in her reading, it was a success. And it’s now going for the second reading on the 16 of September.”
She added, when asked what advice she could give people: “I think the policy is a good way to start. We all know that laws take a long time to go through.
“If you can go to your employer and present to them with a baby loss policy and say can we enact this?
“Now, with one in four pregnancies resulting miscarriage, the statistics speak for themselves…in my view, this goes to the heart and core of a wellbeing policy within your business.
“So go to your employer and say can you enact this and hopefully the law will change it and mean that everyone is entitled, no matter what stage they lose their baby to protection within the workplace.”
