Compassion matters when supporting pregnancy loss

It’s a subject rarely spoken about at work — yet one that affects many people.

Now, two new resources developed in Cork are aiming to help employers and colleagues respond with compassion and understanding when someone experiences pregnancy loss.

The new toolkit and book were launched at City Hall last week at an event hosted by the Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Fergal Dennehy.

Both resources were created by the Pregnancy Loss Research Group (PLRG) at University College Cork (UCC), based on findings from the PLACES Project, which explored how workplaces can better support people who experience pregnancy loss under 24 weeks.

Professor Keelin O’Donoghue, Consultant Obstetrician at Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH) and lead of the Pregnancy Loss Research Group, said the research highlights a significant gap between the needs of employees and the supports available to them.

“This impacts on their wellbeing,” she said. “Many people return to work shortly after pregnancy loss while still experiencing physical and emotional difficulties. Managing the impact of the loss, workloads, and social interactions can be particularly challenging.

“Many do not disclose their pregnancy loss, take time off work, or seek support due to stigma and fears of dismissal or discrimination regarding career progression. There is a need for dedicated leave and workplace policies to better support people who experience pregnancy loss.”

Doctors Tommy Harty and Caoimhe Ní hÉalaithe, specialists in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at CUMH, co-led the development of the toolkit with Professor O’Donoghue and researcher Marita Hennessy.

The Pregnancy Loss and the Workplace Toolkit provides clear, practical guidance for employers, managers, and HR staff on how to support employees through pregnancy loss. It also includes advice for employees on returning to work and for colleagues who wish to offer understanding and empathy.

Dr Harty said: “While the toolkit focuses mainly on people who experience pregnancy loss prior to 23 weeks, much of what is discussed — especially around how workplaces can offer support beyond leave entitlements — is relevant to anyone who experiences pregnancy loss at any stage.

“In developing and sharing this resource, we want to create more compassionate work environments and better experiences for people whose pregnancies end in loss. Our hope is that workplaces around Ireland will now endorse and use this toolkit.”

Parent advocate Tara Woulfe, a member of the PLRG, praised the group’s work. “They have listened to the stories of women with lived experience of pregnancy loss and turned their research into a toolkit that will be of real, practical help and support for both employers and employees alike,” she said. “This paves the way for women to be met with compassion after their loss, and for workplaces to become places where grief is met with support, not silence.”

Alongside the toolkit, the group also launched a book titled Words at Work, a collection of 23 texts made up of direct quotations from people who took part in the PLACES Project.

Researcher Marita Hennessy said the group’s goal is to lead national research to improve people’s experiences and outcomes. “Recognising pregnancy loss as a workplace issue is essential. Words at Work makes that clear. The toolkit will help workplaces put the right policies and supports in place to make that a reality.”

Copies of Pregnancy Loss and the Workplace: A Toolkit for Employers and Employees and Words at Work: Experiences of Pregnancy Loss in the Workplace (up to 23 weeks) are available on the PLRG website.