Holly Minney
Employment Advice
New rights for working families with babies in neonatal care
The Department for Business and Trade has published a press release giving details of a new right to neonatal care leave, which will come into force on 6 April 2025.
The press release states that the Government is committed to supporting working families, allowing them to concentrate on their baby without having to work or use up their parental leave.
This will be a “day one” right, meaning that there is no minimum period of service in a job before a parent becomes entitled to Neonatal Care Leave. NCL can be taken on top of maternity / paternity leave and is available to parents whose babies are admitted into hospital before they are 28 days old and who have a continuous stay of seven full days or longer.
Neonatal Care Pay will also be available to those parents who meet continuity of service requirement and the minimum earnings threshold.
The changes have been welcomed by charities working in the field of neonatal care.
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Esther Marshall, Solicitor and employment law specialist, said:
“The introduction of a day one entitlement to Neonatal Care Leave will be a welcome development for parents whose babies require hospital care at the very start of their lives. Allowing parents to concentrate on their baby’s recovery without worrying about how much time they are taking off work will be a great help at the most difficult of times. Employers should make sure they are aware of their duties around NCL and might consider introducing a policy to ensure all employees know what they are entitled to.”