JUST a quarter of employees in Yorkshire and the Humber who have experienced pregnancy or baby loss received paid leave, new research shows.

The CIPD - the professional body for HR and people development - is urging more businesses in the county to support their workers who are affected by these issues.

It comes after the group's latest survey report showed 75 per cent of employees in Yorkshire and the Humber who have experienced such a loss did not receive paid passionate or other special leave from their employer. 

Only 37 per cent of organisations have a formal policy to support employees experiencing pregnancy or baby loss, the survey found.

Then just 40 per cent of workers felt their manager showed understanding that it can be a challenging time.

In June 2021, the Co-op – which operate across Yorkshire and Humber in retail, funerals, insurance and legal services - launched a dedicated policy to support both parents affected by pregnancy and baby loss. 

Kerry Allison, People Policy Manager at the Co-op said: “We realised we needed to do more in this area.

"It was clear that colleagues felt pregnancy loss didn’t fit under sickness. It’s more about loss and bereavement."