Day one neonatal care leave begins for UK parents

Parents across the UK with babies in neonatal care will, from this weekend, have access to a new legal right offering 12 weeks of paid leave from the first day of employment.

The Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act comes into force on Sunday 6 April and is expected to benefit around 60,000 parents each year. The entitlement applies to parents whose babies are admitted into neonatal care up to 28 days after birth and remain in hospital for at least seven consecutive days.

The new right is in addition to maternity, paternity or shared parental leave, allowing parents to remain at their child’s side without exhausting their existing entitlements or risking financial hardship.

Employment Rights Minister Justin Madders said:

“The campaigners and parents who have had to experience their children in neonatal care are an inspiration to us all and show just how much this new leave and pay entitlement is needed for families up and down the UK.”

Baroness Merron, Minister for Women’s Health, added:

“No parent should have to choose between being with their vulnerable newborn or returning to work. Our action today will make all the difference to families going through an incredibly stressful time.”

The policy forms part of the government’s broader Employment Rights Bill, which aims to improve workplace protections and support for workers across the UK. It includes further reforms such as strengthened protections for pregnant women and new parents, and rights for carers and those going through the menopause.

The introduction of neonatal care leave follows years of campaigning by organisations including Bliss, The Smallest Things, and Working Families.

Catriona Ogilvy, founder of The Smallest Things, said:

“This new law is the result of a decade of tireless campaigning by those who truly understand – neonatal parents themselves. Neonatal Leave will give families back stolen time… time to bond. And time to begin to recover – both physically and mentally.”

Caroline Lee-Davey, chief executive of Bliss, said the law would bring “assurance that [parents] can take the time to be with their sick baby when they need it most,” while Working Families chief executive Jane van Zyl highlighted the potential for employers to go further, calling on businesses to adopt flexible and compassionate policies around neonatal care.

Some employers have already led the way. Virgin Media O2 introduced paid neonatal leave two years ago. Nisha Marwaha, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the company, said:

“We’ve seen first-hand the difference it has made to our employees, allowing them to focus on caring for their sick baby and take time away from work with our full support.”

Sony Music and Deloitte UK are also among firms offering enhanced neonatal leave policies.

Jackie Henry, managing partner for people and purpose at Deloitte UK, said:

“Family-friendly policies can have a profound impact in supporting people in the modern workplace… Families come in all shapes and sizes, so policies like these allow our people to focus on what matters during some of the most important moments of their lives.”