Policies around miscarriage and stillbirth: FOI release
- Published
- 19 January 2023
- Directorate
- People Directorate
- Part of
- Public sector
- FOI reference
- FOI/202200318701
- Date received
- 2 September 2022
- Date responded
- 21 September 2022
Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.
Information requested
1. What paid leave is available for employees who suffer a miscarriage (ie up to 24 weeks pregnancy) and whether any other support is available.
2. What paid leave is available for employees whose child is stillborn (ie after 24 weeks pregnancy) and whether any other support is available.
3. Whether your body is considering any current proposals to change this policy?
Response
The answer to your question is:
1. Parents who suffer a miscarriage up to 23 weeks of pregnancy are entitled to 2 weeks leave and pay. There are a number of other services and additional support available to help employees including:
- Counselling and Wellbeing Service
- Employee Assistance Service
- Charity for Civil Servants
- Mental Health First Aiders
- Carers Network
2. Parents who suffer a stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy are entitled to 2 weeks leave and pay. In addition to this they are entitled to maternity leave if they are the mother and paternity leave if they are the father.
Employees are entitled to take up to 12 months maternity leave. If they qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) the Scottish Government will top-up their payment with contractual maternity pay to ensure they receive full pay for a 27 week period. Thereafter they will receive SMP only for 12 weeks. Any additional maternity leave is unpaid.
In regards to paternity leave, 4 consecutive weeks are available at full pay. There are a number of other services and additional support available to help employees including:
- Counselling and Wellbeing Service
- Employee Assistance Service
- Charity for Civil Servants
- Mental Health First Aiders
- Carers Network
3. We are committed to reviewing our policies on a regular basis. There are no immediate plans to make changes to this policy.
About FOI
The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.
Contact
Please quote the FOI reference
Central Enquiry Unit
Email: ceu@gov.scot
Phone: 0300 244 4000
The Scottish Government
St Andrews House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG
There is a problem
Thanks for your feedback