Six in ten women say they did not receive adequate care after miscarriage. That figure comes from the Miscarriage Association's "Miscarriage in the UK" report, published in March 2026. Having reviewed the material, Peppy’s lead Pregnancy & Parenthood practitioner, Genevieve West, noted that the results sadly, but predictably, reflect the reality many parents face.
"This research confirms what many of us working in this space already know," says Genevieve. "Miscarriage is still treated as something people should quietly recover from. But the reality for many employees is far more complex than that."
The human cost is significant. 68% of respondents experienced mental health problems following pregnancy loss, including grief, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and suicidal thoughts. Of those who sought help, 42% did not receive it.
They are employees. Sitting in your offices. Attending your meetings. Holding themselves together without support.
The data on employer response is stark.
One respondent, Olivia, described being forced to use annual leave for hospital appointments during her miscarriage: "They wouldn't allow any sick leave or compassionate leave at all." (Miscarriage Association, 2026).
"What concerns me most is the return to work," says Genevieve. "People often come back because they feel they have to, not because they are ready. Employers often equate presence with productivity, assuming a returned employee is a 'fine' employee. Frequently, the opposite is true."
Miscarriage is the most common pregnancy complication in the UK. At any given time, a proportion of your workforce has experienced it. The question is whether your organisation is equipped to respond.
Grief after miscarriage is clinically significant. Charlotte, who experienced a ruptured ectopic pregnancy, described what followed: "I was incredibly depressed after. I almost ended my life from this experience. I now have complex PTSD." (Miscarriage Association, 2026).
Jill said simply: "There's zero emotional or wellbeing checks after something so utterly traumatic. I have been in a very, very dark place with no support." (Miscarriage Association, 2026).
"Grief after pregnancy loss does not follow a neat timeline," says Genevieve. "We support and speak with people months after their loss who are still in acute distress, often because they never received adequate support at the time. An unsupportive workplace often compounds an already traumatic experience."
Depression and grief do not stay at home when someone returns to work. They show up in performance, in relationships and, eventually, in attrition data.
Without formal policy, trained managers or a culture that acknowledges pregnancy loss, employees manage their grief alone.
"Silence in the workplace is not evidence that employees are coping," says Genevieve. "It is usually evidence that they do not feel safe enough to ask for help. That distinction matters enormously."
Fear of stigma prevented many respondents from disclosing their loss at all. The Miscarriage Association found that support from friends and colleagues often faded quickly, leaving people increasingly isolated.
The Miscarriage Association is calling for systemic change, including full implementation of bereavement leave under the forthcoming Employment Rights Act and stronger workplace pregnancy loss policies. That legislation sets a floor. It does not set a standard of care.
"A policy tells someone they are allowed to grieve," says Genevieve. "Clinical support actually helps them through it. Those are very different things."
Peppy's Pregnancy & Parenthood service includes dedicated clinical support for miscarriage and baby loss, covering emotional support, bereavement and grief, and mental health signposting across depression, anxiety and more. Support is available from pregnancy through to a child's second year, delivered through private one-to-one messaging, video consultations and expert-led content, all confidentially through an app.
Clinical pathways include:
LGBTQ+ families are explicitly included within the scope of service.
Myleene Klass, MBE and champion of the Miscarriage Association, put it plainly: "Pregnancy loss is not a niche issue. It affects thousands each year. Yet many still struggle to access the care and understanding they deserve."
Thousands of those people are employed. Some work for your organisation right now.
"HR teams are not clinical practitioners," says Genevieve. "They should not have to be. But they do need specialist support they can point people towards with confidence. That gap is exactly where services like Peppy exist."
When 57% of employees receive no formal support after disclosing pregnancy loss, the human cost becomes a business cost. Absence, disengagement and attrition follow. Specialist support is not a benefit add-on. It is a measurable response to a documented workforce risk.
Does the Employment Rights Act 2025 cover bereavement leave for miscarriage?
The Miscarriage Association is calling for full implementation of bereavement leave under the Employment Rights Act to cover pregnancy loss. Benefits leaders should review existing policies now, ahead of legislative change.
What should a workplace pregnancy loss policy include?
At minimum: leave entitlement, manager guidance, signposting to specialist clinical support and a confidential disclosure process. Currently, 48% of employees say their employer has no such policy.
Can employee benefits cover pregnancy loss support?
Yes. Specialist pregnancy and parenthood benefits, such as Peppy, include dedicated clinical pathways for miscarriage and baby loss, covering emotional and mental health support, delivered confidentially through an app.