Dr. Lisa Becht was recently quoted in an article written by Deanna Cuadra for Employee Benefit News titled “California’s new law grants 5 days of bereavement leave for reproductive loss.”

Employers may need to reconsider their definition of loss when it comes to bereavement leave – or states might do it for them. Going into effect on Jan. 1, 2024, California’s new law requires employers to grant their workers up to five days of leave after they experience reproductive loss through a miscarriage of stillbirth, as well as a failed adoption, IVF, or surrogacy process. While the law doesn’t require the leave to be paid, employers are prohibited from retaliating against workers who use this new leave policy.

California’s reproductive loss law is by no means perfect. Still, it could inspire other states and cities to expand their bereavement leave policies, says Dr. Lisa Becht, a double board-certified fertility specialist at HRC Fertility. “Going through something like IVF or the adoption process is very time-consuming and very stressful,” she says. “When there’s a negative outcome, that’s a huge loss and you need to grieve.”

Dr. Becht goes on to discuss the importance of giving employees time to physically and mentally recover from situations such as miscarriage and the IVF process. To learn more about the new law, read the article in its entirety here.