# Support Through Loss Act: What You Need to Know

This bill would require employers to give workers paid time off to deal with pregnancy loss, failed fertility treatments, failed adoptions, or other events affecting their ability to have children. Specifically, employers with five or more employees would have to provide at least 56 hours (roughly seven workdays) of paid leave each year that employees can use for these purposes. The leave could be used by someone experiencing the loss themselves or by a spouse or domestic partner who needs to support their partner through it.

The bill covers a wide range of situations: miscarriage or stillbirth, unsuccessful rounds of IVF or other fertility treatments, failed adoption arrangements, failed surrogacy arrangements, and any diagnosis or medical event that impacts pregnancy or fertility. Employees would request this leave orally or in writing, and employers couldn't require them to find someone to cover their shifts as a condition of taking the time off. If an employer already offers enough paid leave that can be used for these reasons, they wouldn't need to provide additional time.

The law would protect employees from retaliation for using this leave. Employers couldn't fire, demote, reduce hours, or otherwise punish workers for taking the time off, and they couldn't count the leave against employees in attendance policies or other disciplinary systems. Employers would also have to post notices explaining the leave policy and inform employees about their rights. The bill applies to private employers, government agencies, and Congress itself, though it includes some exceptions for very small businesses and specific federal employee categories.