The UK Just Made Pregnancy Loss a Bereavement. Most of Canada Hasn't.

On 22 September 2026, the UK confirmed that anyone who loses a pregnancy before 24 weeks will have a legal right to take time off work to grieve. It covers miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, termination and failed IVF embryo transfers, and it covers partners too.

Before this, early loss had no recognition at work in Britain. You used sick days, holiday time, or a kind manager, after one of the hardest things a body goes through. The UK government estimates that one in five women there will experience a miscarriage in their lifetime.

What the new UK right covers

It takes effect in April 2027 and passes through Parliament as secondary legislation next year. So it is confirmed, not yet live. What it includes:

1. Every kind of early loss counts. Miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, termination and unsuccessful IVF embryo transfers. For anyone in fertility treatment, this is the first time a failed transfer is named in law as a loss.
2. Partners are included. The right covers partners, the other biological parent, and intended parents in a surrogacy arrangement.
3. It starts on ...