Discovery Communications has launched a new pregnancy and baby loss policy to support its UK employees and to mark this year’s Baby Loss Awareness Week (9-15 October).
According to the organisation, which employs 1,200 people, the initiative acknowledges that baby and pregnancy loss must be met with a compassionate response in order to make sure that no member of staff is left alone in difficult moments.
Moving forward, it will give two weeks of paid leave to employees who experience loss, train UK mental health ambassadors to support those going through a loss, provide training on the subject to all managers and staff if they wish to participate, and partner with baby loss charities Sands and Tommy’s, which offer specialised counselling to employees.
The organisation will also add pregnancy and baby loss charities to its internal donation schemes, extend maternity leave for up to 12 weeks for any neonatal leave where the mother and baby require extended periods of stay in hospital, and extend paternity leave for up to five weeks if a partner or baby are in hospital and need neonatal care.
Charlotte Williams, vice president of people and culture at Discovery, explained that the business wants to offer more help to employees throughout the experience because one in four women, together with their partners, go through the heartbreak that requires much more than they currently get to grieve and heal.
“Introducing a new policy in our UK office is a small step to make a significant difference to all those suffering after losing a child. Discovery is also offering a wide range of benefits to women at different stages of life, focused on both physical and mental health. We are introducing a menopause policy this month as well as promoting our in-house mental health ambassadors to support our employee population,” she said.
