Supporting Parents: A Guide to the New Neonatal Leave Rights in 2025
New right to neonatal care leave: what HR needs to know Starting from 6 April 2025, parents will be entitled to up to 12 weeks of additional leave if their baby requires neonatal care.
Eligibility Criteria:
The leave applies to parents whose babies are admitted to hospital within the first 28 days of birth and have a continuous stay of seven days or more.
Neonatal care includes medical or palliative care that begins within the first 28 days and continues uninterrupted for at least seven days.
Leave Details:
Neonatal leave is to be taken in blocks of a week, for every week that the baby is in hospital, for a maximum of 12 weeks.
The leave must be taken within 68 weeks of the child's birth.
This leave is in addition to existing entitlements such as maternity, paternity, and shared parental leave.
Pay Entitlement:
Eligible parents who meet minimum requirements (likely similar to other family-related statutory pay such as maternity) will receive neonatal care pay during the leave.
Employers can reclaim payments from the government, as is the case for other forms of statutory pay.
Employer Considerations:
Employers should update their HR policies to incorporate this new leave entitlement.
It's essential to communicate this new right to employees and ensure that HR teams are prepared to manage and process these leave requests.
The introduction of neonatal care leave provides crucial support for parents during challenging times when their newborns require extended hospital care. Employers must proactively update their policies and inform their staff to ensure smooth implementation of this new entitlement. By doing so, organisations can demonstrate their commitment to employee well-being and compliance with evolving employment laws.
(Article source– People management)