PARENTS in Britain will be granted the right to bereavement leave after suffering a miscarriage, the Guardian reported today.

The newspaper reported that an amendment to the upcoming Employment Rights Bill, expected to pass into law this summer, will extend two weeks of bereavement leave to parents who have suffered a miscarriage before 24 weeks’ gestation.

In January, a women and equalities select committee report concluded that the case for it was “overwhelming.”

Currently, parents only have a right to leave when they have lost a child or had a stillbirth after 24 weeks. 

A government spokesperson did not confirm the policy but stated: “Whilst we appreciate that many employers already show compassion and understanding in these circumstances, we will continue to look at how we can best ensure that all parents are protected with the strongest possible entitlements.”

The Miscarriage Association estimates that miscarriage occurs in one in five pregnancies in Britain.