Aaron Horsey, whose wife died in childbirth, had no automatic right to leave despite being baby’s sole carer
hen Aaron Horsey found out his wife, Bernadette, was pregnant he decided to change jobs to make sure he could work flexibly and be present for his new child. But when Bernadette died unexpectedly in childbirth, he suddenly realised the move had left him with no right to time off work to look after their newborn son, Tim.
Horsey already knew that fathers and partners only have the right to paternity or parental leave if they have worked for a company for nine months before their child is born – even if it is unpaid. Instead, he was planning to take unpaid leave and holiday.
But he was blindsided when he realised that even though his partner had died, leaving him as the sole carer for their baby, he still had no automatic right to leave.
“There was the emotional trauma of looking after a newborn baby, having to arrange a funeral, having to discuss things with the coroner, dealing with medical investigations,” says the 31-year-old. “And, at the same time, I’m thinking, well, if I don’t sort out my job, I’ll be unemployed in a week’s time, and then I’m going to be really stuck.”
Eleven months on from the death of his wife, who was also 31, at Royal Derby hospital, Horsey, a clinical trial manager, is calling for a change in the law so that, if a birthing partner dies or is incapacitated, whoever takes on responsibility for the child receives the automatic right to time...
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