Pregnancy loss leave reintroduced in Pennsylvania

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(The Center Square) – A loved one dies. More often than not, employers may offer full-time workers a few days of paid bereavement leave or take an understanding approach toward a handful of unpaid days.

For parents-to-be suffering a pregnancy loss? Employees can use available sick days followed by a hasty return to work, often without anyone ever knowing what they’ve been through.

One legislator hopes to change that. Sen. Amanda Cappeletti, D-Norristown, is introducing for a second time a bill that would provide three days of paid time off for workers experiencing pregnancy loss.

The senator made history as the first in the state to give birth while in office. She's also been frank about her own experiences with pregnancy loss, including abortion care to manage the loss of a non-viable pregnancy last November.

“Having experienced my own pregnancy loss, I know that the first three days are only the start of a grieving process that goes long beyond this proposed time off, but I believe it is important we take this first step as a Commonwealth to acknowledge the hardships that families face when going through this type of loss," Cappelletti wrote in an email to The Center Square. "I hope this legislation raises awareness about the supports that are needed when a pregnancy loss occurs.”

Cappelletti spoke on her losses and announced her current pregnancy while honoring Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month on the Senate floor last week.

Statistically, as many as one quarter of pregnancies end in miscarriage, with most of those instances occurring within the first trimester. Many expecting parents choose to keep pregnancies secret until after the 12 week mark at which point miscarriage becomes less likely.

The American Psychological Association says that the silence around pregnancy loss can lead to deep feelings of isolation for grieving parents. This may be compounded by a sense of guilt or shame that the pregnancy wasn’t carried to term.

After 20 weeks, pregnancy losses are considered stillbirths and are less common, occurring once in about 160 pregnancies in the United States. While these losses are often more public in nature, psychologists say that the lack of rituals and social support for grieving parents can lead to long-term mental health impacts. 

To date, there are only two states with reproductive leave losses — California and Illinois. California requires employers to offer at least five days of unpaid leave, while Illinois offers 10. A handful of states require employers to offer bereavement leave, which varies in flexibility, offering leave only if a parent, child, or spouse has died.

“It is time we value individuals and couples who decide to take the personal and often difficult steps towards parenthood,” wrote Cappelletti in a sponsorship memo for the bill. “Pennsylvania needs to modernize our leave policies and give workers time to heal and grieve.”