A lack of understanding and awareness in workplaces means some employees experiencing miscarriage feel isolated and unsupported as they navigate an incredibly difficult time in their lives. This event discussed supporting people at work after pregnancy loss.
At this event, Dr Melanie Keep, Director of Academic Education, University of Sydney and lead author of research on the experiences of Australian women on returning to work after miscarriage, discussed how employers can best support people experiencing pregnancy loss in the workplace.
Our panel of guest speakers, led by DCA CEO Lisa Annese, shared their expertise and/or lived experience on the topic:
- Reverend Lin Brataniec (nee Surch), founder and CEO at Beyond Gender,
- Claire Williams, Manager, Strategy & Operations at KPMG Australia,
- Kate Cowmeadow, Director of Community Engagement at Red Nose Australia, and
- Dr Melanie Keep, Director of Academic Education, University of Sydney.
They unpacked how employers can:
- Adopt compassionate and flexible parental and/or bereavement leave options that are inclusive of pregnancy loss
- Establish policies and practices that identify and accommodate the specific needs of bereaved employees
- Provide access to psychological counselling, and reminding recently bereaved employees of these resources
- Build a psychologically safe culture where employees can disclose pregnancy loss and other related topics
- Assist to make training available to workplaces on how to best acknowledge grief and support grieving employees.
Event Feedback
‘The speakers were excellent to hear from, with a depth of experience and knowledge of the topic. Valuable insights were provided of lived experience.’ – Anon, event participant
‘Excellent event. Great panel. Was so nice to hear such an open discussion about a very real issue that impacts so many people.‘ – Anon, event participant
‘All the speakers were really engaging and the messaging was really clear and helpful. I felt like I learnt a lot not just about child loss but about supporting others at times of grief.’ – Anon, event participant
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