The Isle of Man government has announced that new employment rights for shared parental leave and parental bereavement leave will be introduced from 1 November.
The new rights are part of the Employment (Amendment) Act 2024, providing support for parents during challenging times and ensuring commitment to supporting family-friendly policies.
Parents will be entitled to take an additional two weeks of leave following the death of a child under the age of 18, including cases of stillbirth. This can be taken as a single two-week block or two separate one-week blocks within the first year after the child’s death. Expectant parents who suffer a miscarriage will be entitled to one week of leave.
Parents will also be able to take up to 50 weeks of shared parental leave to care for a new baby in the first 12 months of life. Both maternity and paternity leave will still be available as options for new parents. The same right will also be offered to adoptive parents.
It will also introduce parental bereavement and shared parental allowances. For eligible employees, parental bereavement allowance will be paid for up to two weeks following the death of a child or stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy, or one week following a miscarriage before 24 weeks of pregnancy.
Tim Johnston, member of the house of keys (MHK), minister for enterprise, said: “The introduction of these new rights for parental bereavement and shared parental leave is a significant step forward in supporting families during some of the most important and difficult times that they may face. Shared parental leave will provide a more flexible approach, while the parental bereavement leave offers further support in a challenging time.
“By bringing forward these rights, we also are demonstrating our commitment to continue creating a family-friendly environment and ensuring that the island remains an attractive place to live and work.”
Dr Alex Allinson MHK, treasury minister, added: “We recognise the importance of providing financial support to parents who need to take time off work to care for their new child in a flexible way that suits them. The new allowances accompanying these new rights will ensure that eligible parents are financially supported during these critical periods. We look forward to bringing forward the necessary legislation to make these rights a reality for our working families.”
Further work around new rights for neonatal care leave and carer’s leave secondary legislation for rest breaks will be brought forward over the coming months.
