Since May 1, the French company Critizr, a specialist in the management of customer interactions, has introduced leave in the event of miscarriage for its 100 employees in France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Japan and Spain.
In the event of natural termination of pregnancy during the first 22 weeks, employees can take 5 days off, we learn in a press release from the company, published on May 17.
The second parent whose spouse experiences a miscarriage may also benefit from 2 days of leave, whether the woman is an employee of the company or not.
No proof
To “not add complexity to a painful event,” the statement reads, no authorization or medical certificate is required to justify the absence.
It suffices to send an e-mail or to call the company to inform us of the taking of leave for miscarriage, we are confirmed by telephone.
The company insists on the principles of trust and “simplicity”.
The measure was launched by Nicolas Hammer, CEO of Critizr.
The company is the first in France to introduce rest days after the natural termination of pregnancy.
“We want to be part of those who pave the way for future social changes, commented in a press release the director of human resources, Xavier Molinié.
Through these measures, we wish, beyond our legal and contractual obligations, to support our employees during the difficult times they may be going through and during which working may prove difficult - if not impossible."
In parallel, a menstrual leave of one day or two if necessary, has also been put in place.
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Breaking a taboo
The measure is part of a movement to free speech to bring miscarriages out of silence, but not without difficulty.
In November 2021, MP Paula Forteza (EELV) presented to the National Assembly a series of 17 measures to better take care of and take into account the first three months of pregnancy and miscarriages.
The elected official notably proposed the introduction of automatic sick leave after the natural termination of a pregnancy.
All measures had been rejected.
Read alsoWhy we can say that we are pregnant even before the milestone of three months of pregnancy
More recently, at the end of March, the MP tabled a new bill to improve the management of miscarriages.
Among the measures, the establishment of a special leave of 3 days during an early termination of pregnancy is proposed.
"It's a way to officially and symbolically recognize the existence of this moment, and the mourning it induces.
Miscarriage is not a disease, but it is a significant event that requires time to recover from.
Both for the wife and for the spouse,” she said in an interview with
L’Obs
on March 30.
Abroad, New Zealand has already taken up the subject.
Since March 24, 2021, three days off have been granted to both members of the couple in the event of miscarriage or stillbirth.
Last April, the authors of a report published in the journal
The Lancet
denounced a phenomenon "too long minimized" when one in ten women has already had a miscarriage.
They called for better care, especially on the psychological level.
