QBE announces new inclusive pregnancy loss support measures for employees

QBE Insurance has today announced a series of new organisational initiatives to support its people who have experienced pregnancy loss at any stage, in partnership with leading miscarriage and pregnancy loss charity The Pink Elephants Support Network.

In Australia, 282 women experience miscarriage and six babies are stillborn each day, according to Pink Elephants. QBE is proud to have partnered with Pink Elephants to expand its support initiatives for employees and their partners experiencing pregnancy loss, including the introduction of a professionally trained peer support network, and a review of the language and framing of its existing paid parental leave policy, which offers an industry-leading 12 weeks of leave over 24 months for all parents.

The announcement follows on from QBE’s certification as one of Australia’s first Family Friendly Workplaces, in line with new national standards aimed at providing employers with the minimum and best practice ways to build a more inclusive, family-friendly workplace culture.

Sue Houghton, Chief Executive Officer, QBE Australia, said these initiatives are a way of providing meaningful support to our teams at a very difficult time.

“One in three women and partners experience the heartbreak of pregnancy loss so providing inclusive and comprehensive support to all our employees is really important to us. We know miscarriage isn’t just a moment in time and can affect everyone differently. That’s why we want to give our employees a full range of support measures and make sure everyone feels validated and helped during their individual journey.”

As part of the support measures, QBE has:

• Launched the QBE Pink Elephants Peer Support Companion program, with three team members across Australia and New Zealand volunteering to share their own experiences with pregnancy loss to confidentially support others in the organisation, with professional training provided by Pink Elephant
• Continued its parental leave policy, which includes up to 12 weeks of leave over a 24-month period for all team members and their partners who experience pregnancy loss
• Amended policy wording to be more inclusive and understanding of early pregnancy loss
• Provided mental health care resources within the updated policy, including allowances for leave on loss anniversary dates.

Samantha Payne, Chief Executive of Pink Elephants, commended QBE for providing support, validation and nurturing to employees as they navigate a difficult journey.

"We are so proud of QBE for creating the most inclusive policy we have seen for our community who suffer pregnancy loss at any gestation. We commend them for taking on board all our best practice suggestions and providing meaningful support, to ensure the well-being of their people who go through pregnancy loss. These changes will have a profound impact on many people."

QBE will also be extending new support to team leaders, providing them with resources from Pink Elephants and guidance on how they can support their team members who experience loss, to facilitate supportive and meaningful discussions in the workplace.

To find out how your organisation can support pregnancy loss, visit www.pinkelephants.org.au

For more information:

Emily Connell
External Communications Specialist
QBE Australia
+61 422 907 484
Email: emily.connell@qbe.com