Maltese Company Introduces Four Week Paid Leave For Employees Going Through A Miscarriage
A major Maltese company will now be giving employees who have miscarried or had a stillbirth four weeks of paid leave.
GO announced this policy as the newest addition to their “well-being” programme – intended to support the physical and mental health of their staff.
This new policy goes well beyond minimum provisions of paid leave in the cases of pregnancy loss enshrined in Maltese law.
“We fully recognise the impact that pregnancy loss can have on our people,” said Sarah Mifsud, GO’s Chief People Officer.
“This policy provides our people with a structured offering during such difficult times. This is another step forward in providing them the time and space they need to grieve and recover – without the added stress of worrying about their financial situation,” she continued.
Around 20% of confirmed pregnancies end in miscarriage before 20 weeks. When a baby is lost after 20 weeks, they are considered to be stillbirths rather than miscarriages.
While it is fairly common to miscarry early enough that people with uteruses haven’t realised that they were pregnant – miscarriages and stillbirths can be emotionally traumatic – as well as physically draining.
Pregnancy can potentially be dangerous.
Given that pregnancy loss is so common, this announcement is a welcome addition to a labour landscape which has largely avoided the topic.
This avoidance has come at the peril of people already dealing with a lot.
Particularly when considering cases wherein women in Malta have lost their jobs because they told employers that they were pregnant, this is a refreshing juxtaposition.
“We are very proud of our well-being initiatives because we believe in our responsibility as employers to provide a working environment which prioritises the family unit,” added Mifsud.
Should all companies roll out extended pregnancy loss leave?
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