Zip Co Offers Paid Miscarriage Leave to Staff

SYDNEY, July 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Zip, the idea for the new bereavement leave policy was sparked in March this year, when the New Zealand government passed legislation providing paid leave for parents who have lost a pregnancy.

With a quarter of all pregnancies ending in miscarriage, Zip says they hope to create a space to normalise and change the conversation around miscarriage. The leave period is intended to allow women and partners to come to terms with the loss, without having to dip into their sick leave. The buy now pay later (BNPL) company says allowing parents this space is critically important for mental recovery.Zip's new policy offers parents two weeks of paid leave for those who experience miscarriage or pregnancy loss in the first 20 weeks. After that period, the standard parental leave policy applies, offering 16 weeks of paid leave to primary carers and four weeks to secondary carers. The policy applies to both full and part-time employees, all genders and regardless of how long they have been with the company.