Zip Co announces world-leading miscarriage bereavement leave policy

Leading Buy Now, Pay Later company, Zip Co Limited has today announced a new world-leading bereavement leave policy, enabling grieving parents (including partners) two-weeks of paid leave, following the loss of a pregnancy before 20-weeks.

With one-in-four pregnancies ending in miscarriage, normalising the conversation around miscarriage is an important societal development. The implementation of the miscarriage bereavement policy helps to deliver on Zip’s committment to create a more inclusive and equitable workplace around the world.

The policy, which is available to Zip employees or ‘Zipsters’ from today (irrespective of tenure), aims to recognise the unique circumstances that surround miscarriage, as well as the physical, emotional and mental toll.

The announcement of Zip’s world-leading corporate policy follows the legislation of parental bereavement leave in New Zealand earlier this year.

For those that experience the loss of a pregnancy after 20-weeks, Zip’s parental leave policy applies, giving Zipsters, regardless of tenure, 16 weeks paid leave for primary carers and 4 weeks paid leave for secondary carers.

Chief People Officer at Zip, Anna Buber-Farovich, said, “At the moment, those experiencing pregnancy loss – and their partners – lack access to the support they need at an incredibly vulnerable time of their lives. Many are expected to hide tragedy within sick or compassionate leave.

“At Zip, we believe in supporting our teams through all hardships, irrespective of age, location or gender and that includes acknowledging and honouring pregnancy loss.

“Offering two weeks of paid bereavement leave to all Zipsters will be a big step forward in normalising the conversation around infant loss, miscarriage and grief. By validating their experience and providing the space to heal, we hope we can help our employees find their way to a full and healthy recovery – both mentally and physically”.

Chief Executive Officer at Zip, Larry Diamond, said, “This is a vital policy for everyone at Zip. We are a modern company and we want our staff to feel valued and supported; this means having policies that help them with big life events such as pregnancy loss. But this is also about normalising and changing the conversation globally. Hopefully, other Australian and international companies will follow Zip’s example and put in place similar steps to support their colleagues.”

Co-Founder & CEO of The Pink Elephants Support Network, Sam Payne, said, “Pink Elephants is really pleased to see a global organisation such as Zip, understanding the need for progressive policy change to support their people through the very real grief of losing their baby to pregnancy loss.

“If we are to address the cultural change that is necessary to better support women and their partners through the death of their baby, we need to first validate their experience as real grief. Bereavement policy does that.”

Zip’s miscarriage bereavement leave policy will be available to all full-time and part-time Zipsters, in all global offices. Employees will also have access to counselling through Zip’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP).