Bereavement Leave for Miscarriage: Which States and Countries Provide It

Which US States Cover Miscarriage Under Bereavement Leave

Pregnancy loss is slowly gaining recognition in state bereavement leave laws, but coverage remains limited.

California has separate Reproductive Loss Leave. State or local public employers of any size and private employers with five or more employees must provide up to five days per qualifying reproductive loss event, including miscarriage, to employees with at least 30 days of service. Leave must be completed within three months of the event and is capped at 20 days in a 12-month period.

Illinois is the strongest example. The Family Bereavement Leave Act explicitly covers miscarriage, stillbirth, unsuccessful reproductive procedures, failed adoption or surrogacy agreements, and diagnoses that negatively affect pregnancy or fertility. Eligible employees may take up to 10 unpaid workdays per qualifying event, subject to the six-week total cap in a 12-month period and the 60-day completion deadline. An employer may request reasonable documentation but may not require the employee to identify which event category applies.

Washington: State civil-service employees covered by Title 357 WAC receive five paid bereavement days for a qualifying pregnancy loss under WAC 357-31-250, effective July 1, 2025. This rule does not create a general private-sector entitlement.

California provides up to five days of bereavement leave for a covered family death. For pregnancy loss, check which separate leave options and eligibility rules apply to the event. A pregnancy-related health condition may also qualify for medical leave if it meets the applicable criteria.

Oregon provides bereavement leave for the death of a family member. Check whether pregnancy loss qualifies under OFLA or whether separate medical or employer leave options apply to your circumstances.

State rules differ. If a bereavement statute does not clearly cover your circumstances, leave for a qualifying physical or mental health condition may be available under medical or FMLA provisions if you meet their criteria.

Employer Policies Are Evolving

Corporate bereavement policies have begun expanding to include pregnancy loss. Companies including Meta, Pinterest, Zillow, and several major banks now offer dedicated miscarriage leave alongside their standard bereavement benefits. Some provide up to four weeks of paid time off for pregnancy loss at any stage.

Check your employee handbook — even if miscarriage is not mentioned in state law, your employer may already cover it. If the policy is silent, consider requesting time off under sick leave, PTO, or short-term disability while framing the conversation around physical recovery.

International Coverage

United Kingdom: In Great Britain, Parental Bereavement Leave covers a child under 18 who dies or a stillbirth after 24 weeks; it provides up to 2 weeks from day one, to be completed within 56 weeks. Earlier miscarriage does not qualify for that leave. Northern Ireland's rules differ: from 6 April 2026, an employee or qualifying partner may take up to 2 weeks after a miscarriage before 24 weeks, in one block or two one-week blocks within 56 weeks. Leave is available from day one; Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay has separate employment and earnings tests, and medical proof is not required.

Canada (federally regulated employees): The Canada Labour Code provides up to 10 days of bereavement leave after an immediate-family death; the first 3 days are paid after 3 months of continuous service. A separate pregnancy-loss leave provides up to 8 weeks after a stillbirth or 3 days after another pregnancy loss for the pregnant employee, their spouse or common-law partner, or an intended parent. The leave must be used within 26 weeks and may be split into one or two periods; the first 3 days are paid after 3 months of continuous employment.

New Zealand: After meeting the six-month service test, an employee is entitled to at least 3 paid days for their own miscarriage or stillbirth, or for a partner's loss when they are the partner, would-be biological parent, or a qualifying intended or primary carer. The service test is 6 months with the same employer, or 6 months' aggregate service averaging 10 hours per week and at least 1 hour each week or 40 hours each month.

Australia: The National Employment Standards provide 2 days of compassionate leave per occasion after an employee's own miscarriage or their current spouse or de facto partner's miscarriage. It is paid for full-time and part-time employees and unpaid for casual employees; personal leave may also apply when the employee is unfit for work because of physical or mental effects.

India: Since 2020, several major Indian companies (Swiggy, Flipkart, Zomato) have introduced miscarriage leave policies, some offering up to six weeks. Separately, section 9 of India's Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 provides covered women employees six weeks of leave with wages after a miscarriage or medical termination of pregnancy, on prescribed proof.

The Physical and Emotional Reality

Miscarriage involves both a medical event and a grief response. The physical recovery can take days to weeks, and the emotional aftermath often includes symptoms that mirror other forms of bereavement — difficulty concentrating, sleep disruption, anxiety, and grief brain fog.

If you need more time than your employer's policy allows, a healthcare provider can document the physical and psychological impact for FMLA certification. Grief following pregnancy loss is clinically recognized and can meet the threshold for a serious health condition.

The Returning to Work After Bereavement toolkit includes communication templates that work for any type of loss, including scripts for notifying your employer and requesting accommodations when you would rather not disclose details about the nature of your loss.