Neonatal Leave and Pay
Posted on 7th February 2025 at 17:09
The Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023 has gone under the radar with all the other employment changes announced in recent months. However, from 6th April 2025, it will take effect allowing employees with babies who are premature or sick after being born and receiving neonatal care, additional time off.
Neonatal Care Leave (NCL) is a new statutory right that allows employees to take time off work when their baby is admitted into neonatal care within the first 28 days of being born, 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 statutory pay in addition to other leave they may be entitled to, including maternity and paternity leave. This will only be applicable while their baby remains in hospital.
Parents are eligible to take the leave from day one of employment, providing immediate access to leave. It can be taken in blocks of a week, for each week their baby is in hospital, up to a maximum of 12 weeks. The leave must be taken within 68 weeks of the baby being born.
Statutory Neonatal Care Pay (NCP), will be available to those after a qualifying period of service and minimum earnings thresholds. It is expected the rate will be similar to other statutory payments (such as Statutory Paternity Pay). Further details on this has not yet been released.
Employees taking neonatal care leave will receive the same job protections as those provided for other types of family-related leave, such as maternity and paternity. This includes protection against dismissal or any other detriment for taking the leave.
Key Details:
Leave available from day one of employment (no minimum service requirement)
Up to 12 weeks of additional leave per parent
Can be taken in weekly blocks over a 68-week window from the birth date
Does not affect existing maternity, paternity, or shared parental leave entitlements
Neonatal Care Pay will be subject to a minimum service and earning threshold.
Employment rights protections will be in place.
Businesses can prepare for this change by drafting a policy with the key details, thinking about the process for requesting the leave and how it will be managed internally.
For more detailed information, you can refer to the official government announcement:
Feel free to get in touch if you need any further support with this or any other employment issue.
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