The government has announced that a right to neonatal care leave and pay will come into effect from 6 April, following the passing of the Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act in 2023.
Employees with babies in neonatal care will be entitled to the leave and pay as a day one right.
Neonatal care leave will apply to parents of babies who are admitted into neonatal care at the age of up to 28 days old, and who have a continuous hospital stay of seven full days or longer. Eligible parents will be able to take up to 12 weeks of leave and receive extra pay on top of any other leave they may be entitled to, including maternity and paternity leave.
Alongside this, statutory neonatal care pay will be available to those who meet continuity of service requirements and a minimum earnings threshold.
The measures are intended to address some of the difficulties employed parents experience when their baby is in neonatal care, such as ensuring they do not need to worry about returning to work while their babies are sick in hospital. Instead, they can focus on supporting their new family and spending time with their baby.
Justin Madders, Employment Rights Minister, said: “Parents of children in neonatal care have more than enough to worry about without being concerned about how much annual leave they have left or whether they’ll be able to make ends meet. The government is committed to providing the support families need to allow them to be by their child’s side without having to work throughout or use up their existing leave. This entitlement will deliver certainty to them and their employers, setting baseline protections that give them the peace of mind to look after the one thing that matters most, their newborn baby.”
