A chartered accountancy business operating across East Anglia has signed up to support employees who have suffered pregnancy loss and those experiencing the menopause.

Lovewell Blake - which employs 340 workers across Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire - has signed the Pregnancy Loss Pledge and the Menopause Workplace Pledge and is also a signatory to the Best Employers scheme.

The Pregnancy Loss Pledge was launched by the Miscarriage Association and includes a "pregnancy loss standard" to ensure affected employees get the support and time off they need.

it means Lovewell Blake will implement a pregnancy loss policy, and create guidance for managers on how to support a staff member experiencing pregnancy loss.

The Menopause Workplace Pledge commits employers to support and inform workers affected by it. It encourages employers and managers to talk" openly, positively and respectfully" with staff about the menopause.

Lovewell Blake HR adviser Claire Moore hopes that by signing and implementing the pledges the company will not only become a more supportive employer but that it will be able to retain and nurture valuable talent.

“With all of the pressures that every employee is now under, it has never been more important for employers like Lovewell Blake to ensure that we are offering the support to our staff at times of their lives when they are under extra pressure,” she said.

“Pregnancy loss is devastating for both parents, and those that manage people in the workplace may need help to ensure they are offering appropriate support to staff members who have experienced a loss.

“Menopause is increasingly recognised as a time of a woman’s life when they need extra support. An estimated 900,000 women in the UK have had to quit their jobs because of issues around the menopause."