The Department for Business and Trade has announced that the provisions of the Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023 will take effect from 6 April 2025, having laid the regulations to do so before Parliament this week. The Act introduces a new right to statutory leave and pay for parents whose babies need neonatal care.
Entitlement to neonatal care leave will be a “day one” right for employees whose babies are admitted into hospital for medical or palliative care of at least seven consecutive days, within the first 28 days of birth. The length of the leave will depend on how long the baby spends in hospital, but will be up to a maximum of 12 weeks, in addition to existing parental leave entitlements. The leave can be taken at any time within the first 68 weeks following the baby’s birth.
However, in order to qualify for statutory neonatal care pay, employees must have at least 26 weeks of continuous service and earn the lower earnings limit. It is expected that pay will be in line with the statutory prescribed rate for other types of family-related leave.
Jonathan Mumby comments:
We have been anticipating the introduction of neonatal leave and pay in April for some time. However, having the regulations and a confirmed date means employers can now take proactive measures, such as understanding the law, creating policies and readying HR and payroll systems, to ensure a seamless introduction of the new family-friendly leave and pay for their employees.
If you have any questions on any of the upcoming changes, please contact a member of the team here.
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