The city government of Portland, Oregon, offered time off for bereavement for all forms of pregnancy loss, including abortions, starting Sept. 29.
Women who have abortions can request paid time off for bereavement to deal with the procedure’s physical and emotional impact.
The policy was inspired by New Zealand’s three-day paid leave policy for women who have miscarriages and stillbirths, as well as by a city employee who reportedly took unpaid leave after having an abortion, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting.
The rule allows employees to take paid leave “due to pregnancy loss including miscarriage, stillbirth, or other loss.”
“Employees seeking leave for Pregnancy Loss do not need to disclose the specific form of pregnancy loss they encountered in the certification or in any conversation seeking leave unless the employee desires to disclose,” it says.
Portland is now the first to offer bereavement leave for employees after they have an abortion. City Council unanimously approved the changes earlier this month.https://t.co/TbiysMjJG2
— KATU News (@KATUNews) October 26, 2021
Portland also set aside $200,000 to fund abortion care in September in anticipation of an uptick in Texas women traveling to the state for abortions due to that state’s “heartbeat” law limiting the procedure, OPB reported.
The drive from central Texas to Portland is approximately 29 hours.
The measure was an alternative to a scrapped policy of boycotting the state of Texas and banning public employee travel to the state, according to OPB.
“It’s important to recognize that employees need time to address their reproductive health needs … and they may need time to process what they’re experiencing,” said Andrea Miller, president of the National Institute for Reproductive Health, according to OPB.
The city of Portland did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
