Earlier this month, the Government confirmed that the long-awaited Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act will come into force on 6 April 2025. This new legislation grants eligible employees the statutory right to a period of paid neonatal care leave, helping parents manage time off when their baby requires neonatal care.
If your business currently uses our Family Friendly Policy, you may already be familiar with the option to offer neonatal care leave. Some employers have proactively introduced their own policies, while others rely on existing compassionate leave or unpaid dependency leave to support employees in these situations.
What Employers Need to Do
If your organisation already provides neonatal care leave, now is the time to review your policies to ensure they align with the new legal requirements. This includes checking the duration of leave offered, eligibility criteria, and pay entitlements.
For employers who do not yet have a formal neonatal care leave policy in place, it’s important to prepare for the changes ahead. From 6 April 2025, the right to paid neonatal leave will apply to employees whose child is born on or after this date and requires neonatal care.
Get Ready for the Changes
To ensure compliance, employers should:
- Review existing family leave policies and update them as necessary
- Communicate the new entitlement to managers and employees
- Adjust payroll systems to accommodate statutory neonatal care leave payments
- Seek HR guidance if unsure about implementation
We’re here to help
Keeping up with new legislation can be challenging, HR Solutions can help ensure your policies, handbooks, and contracts are fully up to date with the latest laws. If you have any questions about the upcoming changes, we offer a free 30-minute advice session with one of our expert HR advisors. Simply complete the form here to get started.
Get in touch with us today by calling us on 0844 324 5840 or completing one of our contact forms.
