Very few companies offer miscarriage leave. Paid time off is something they are not incentivized to give because they perceive that it costs them in both dollars and productivity (while I would argue the cost of human capital is greater). Meanwhile, taking unpaid time off for pregnancy loss is something most women are simply unable to electively do. 

In some cases, time off is required as part of the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Pregnancy Discriminiation Act for hourly and salaried workers. But it’s incredibly frustrating for women to navigate the laws and acts they may qualify for to get the time off they need, especially when they need it unexpectedly. So until our government, states, localities can follow the lead of New Zealand, which recently approved 3 days of paid leave after the loss of pregnancy, companies can and should create their own policies. 

Women who attempt to take ad-hoc miscarriage leave are often left in a policy grey zone among medical leave, disability and bereavement. Because of our societal construct not to talk about pregnancy during the first trimester—explicitly due to the fear and likelihood of miscarriage,—it’s exceedingly rare to have a clear and specific policy in place. And that makes the experience  even more isolating. Standout companies like Reddit offer eight and a half weeks of paid leave after pregnancy loss—for the mother or the father. But they are the exception, not the rule. 

Low-income and hourly-waged women—and, frankly, anyone who doesn’t work at a progressive tech company—could potentially be one miscarriage or complicated pregnancy away from losing their job. For many women, that could mean falling below the poverty line. That could also entail going into debt because of the unexpected financial costs commonly associated with miscarriage and mental health care—nearly 30% of women experience PTSD, 24% anixety and 11% depression—that many need but are often unable to get. 

To be clear: this is the kind of leave no one ever wants to have to take. But it’s the kind of leave that must exist nevertheless.