Perinatal losses are experienced by millions of people each year. Despite it being one of the most traumatic experiences employees can go through in their personal lives, little research has investigated how employee struggles with perinatal losses affect their work behaviors. This paper aims to change that and explores the effects of perinatal losses on employee performance and deviant actions in the workplace. Integrating research on reproductive health, parent-child attachment, and bereavement, we propose a model that explains how perinatal losses trigger immense perinatal grief, which in turn relates to low performance and increased workplace deviance. We further propose that self-compassion moderates the indirect effect of perinatal losses on work outcomes. Results across two field studies support our assertions, highlighting the negative effect of perinatal losses on work behaviors via perinatal grief. Findings further reveal that the indirect relationship was moderated by self-compassion, indicating that individuals who give themselves grace experience less intense bereavement, which in turn mitigates the negative effect of perinatal losses on workplace behaviors. By openly discussing the topic of perinatal losses, employee bereavement and work outcomes, our research makes several contributions to research on silent, traumatic personal issues that can have a huge impact on employees and companies alike.
