On 6th April 2025, the UK will implement the Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023, providing significant support for parents of newborns who require extended hospital care.
This legislation provides eligible parents up to 12 weeks of neonatal care leave and pay, helping ease the emotional and financial strain during a challenging time. It ensures parents can focus on their newborn’s health without the added stress of work obligations.
Parents of babies born on or after 6th April who are admitted to neonatal care within the first 28 days of their life and have a continuous hospital stay of at least seven full days will be eligible for this leave and pay. Neonatal care includes specialised medical attention for newborns born prematurely or with health complications.
The right to neonatal leave applies from day one of employment. Eligible parents can take up to twelve weeks of neonatal care leave per affected child. This leave is in addition to other parental leave rights, such as maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave. Leave can be taken while the baby receives care or within one week after discharge from the hospital and may be split into non-continuous blocks with a minimum duration of one week each. Any remaining leave that doesn’t fall into this category must be taken as a single, continuous block.
Statutory Neonatal Care Pay (SNCP) is available to employees who have at least 26 weeks of continuous service with their employer and meet minimum earnings criteria. From April 2025, the SNCP rate will be £187.18 per week (or 90% of the employee’s earnings, whichever is lower).
Employers should prepare for the implementation of the new regulations by:
- Establishing or updating workplace policies to include neonatal care leave and pay provisions, ensuring clarity on eligibility, notice requirements and leave duration.
- Considering whether they wish to offer enhanced payments or statutory payments only.
- Setting up systems to manage leave requests, track leave periods and process SNCP payments efficiently.
- Inform staff about their rights under the new legislation and provide guidance on how to apply for neonatal care leave and pay.
The introduction of neonatal care leave and pay marks a significant advancement in supporting working families, demonstrating a strong commitment to the wellbeing of both parents and children during critical early life stages.
If you have any questions concerning the new statutory neonatal care pay or any other employment law issue, please call 02920 853788 or email tcms@thomas-carroll.co.uk and our employment specialists will be happy to help.
