A leading baby loss charity has urged employers, hiring managers, directors, and colleagues, to come together in the workplace and better support their colleagues who have lost a baby. 

13 families a day suffer from the heartbreak of losing their baby before, during, or shortly after birth. Losing a baby can take a significant toll on many parents, some of whom end up struggling with the long-term effects of bereavement, according to the charity. 

“Although nothing can take away the pain of losing a baby, supportive work environments can really make a huge difference in a bereaved parent’s journey of grief. We understand that it’s not always easy to find the right words to say to someone who has lost a baby,” Clare Worgan, Head of Training and Education at Sands. 

A survey of bereaved families, carried out by the charity in 2018, found that those who had lost a baby did not feel supported in the workplace, which had a significant impact on their wellbeing.  

The survey also found that only 22% of bereaved parents were aware of their employer’s policies supporting staff if their baby died.  

A further 49% of employers did not discuss entitlements to pay and leave with people following the death of their baby. 

Of the survey, many parents reported having negative experiences within their workplace following the loss of their baby.  

“I was dismissed from my job for taking more than seven days off sick following the loss of my baby. My manager visited me in hospital, but only to give me attendance paperwork,” said an anonymous bereaved father from Yorkshire. 

According to employment law, there is no statutory leave before 24 weeks. This means that women and birth people often must take sick leave or compassionate leave at the discretion of their employer.  

“We have heard through our helpline that some parents have to fight for this leave because their loss is not legally or socially recognised as bereavement. This is extremely distressing for those who are grieving and often have ongoing medical care or psychological support,” said Clare Worgan.  

Another anonymous parent said: “At first my colleagues never said a word about my baby, although quite a few of them, including my manager, attended the funeral, which was very kind and supportive. Ober the first few weeks, gradually, people did broach the subject with me. I wish someone had said to them, it’s okay to talk to me about the baby.” 

“Our training is specifically designed to empower workplaces. We work directly with managers and colleagues to offer them bespoke and personalised packages so that every workplace can be centred around employee wellbeing and support,” said Clare Worgan. 

“The training is specialist guidance which will help employers to understand and implement best practice. We are here to help employers get it right. We offer a tailored blend of live webinars, online learning modules, and digital toolkits to deliver training which is relevant to individual businesses and their workplace culture.”  

Sands recommends employers to implement compassionate pregnancy and baby loss HR policy, that HR and line managers receive Bereavement in the Workplace training and that colleagues have access to signpost information so that they know where to turn for guidance and support when it comes to baby loss. 

• 100% felt more prepared to support bereaved colleagues
• 50% of companies booked further training with Sands
• 83% rated the training 5/5
• 100% would recommend the training

Sands, which founded specialised Bereavement in the Workplace training in 2018, has spoken about the difficulties that parents face in the workplace after losing a baby. The charity also emphasised the need to support managers and colleagues who often do not know what to say. Sands’ Bereavement in the Workplace training is designed to help all workplaces, no matter how big or small they are. The training is designed to help managers and colleagues understand pregnancy and baby loss, find the right words to say, and to navigate relevant employment law.  

Find out more about Sands’ Bereavement in the Workplace training

To register your interest in Bereavement in the Workplace training, email corporate.partnerships@sands.org.uk.