Glasgow City Council employees who suffer a miscarriage will now get paid leave, the local authority has announced.

Paid support was previously available to employees whose baby was stillborn. A stillbirth is when a baby is born dead after 24 completed weeks of pregnancy.

The changes to the council’s parental bereavement arrangements mean employees who have miscarried will be entitled to the same paid leave as those who suffer stillbirth. This includes the partners of those who have suffered a miscarriage.

Cllr Allan Casey, city convener for Workforce, said the updated bereavement arrangements will now allow staff the time to grieve without the need to rely on annual leave, sick pay or unpaid leave if they feel unable to return to work after their loss.

Cllr Casey said: ‘I hope the decision today shows our commitment to the health and wellbeing of our employees and respects and acknowledges an extremely personal life event that often people still find hard to talk about.

‘Any pregnancy loss can cause unimaginable grief and sadness and affects as many as one in four women. But having additional time and support to grief without any potential financial burden or worry about your job will hopefully be some comfort during a very difficult time.’

He added: ‘Glasgow is now joining two other local authorities and 120 organisations across the UK who have signed up to The Miscarriage Association’s workplace pregnancy loss pledge and demonstrating their commitment to support employees following a miscarriage.’

Vicki Robinson, deputy director of the Miscarriage Association, said: ‘We very much welcome Glasgow City Council’s commitment to supporting its employees at what can be a very difficult, distressing, and lonely time.

‘By extending Parental Bereavement Leave to staff experiencing a loss before 24 weeks, it not only gives women and their partners a period of paid leave, it’s also a clear acknowledgement that pregnancy loss can be felt as a bereavement, just like any other.’