The government has announced that thousands of working families with babies in neonatal care will be entitled to additional time off as a day-one right.

Many working families across the UK must return to work while their babies are sick in the hospital. The measures aim to address some of the difficulties that parents face when their baby is in neonatal care.

The government has laid out regulations which will provide the support families need to allow them to be by their child’s side without having to work throughout or use up their existing leave.

The plans, subject to parliamentary approval, will take effect from April 6, 2025.

Neonatal Care Leave will apply to parents of babies who are admitted into neonatal care up to 28 days old and who have a continuous hospital stay of seven full days or longer. These measures will allow eligible parents to take up to 12 weeks of leave on top of any other leave they may be entitled to.

Alongside the leave entitlement, Statutory Neonatal Care Pay will be available to those who meet continuity of service requirements and a minimum earnings threshold.

Justin Madders, employment rights minister, said, “Parents of children in neonatal care have more than enough to worry about without being concerned about how much annual leave they have left or whether they’ll be able to make ends meet.

“This entitlement will deliver certainty to them and their employers, setting baseline protections that give them the peace of mind to look after the one thing that matters most – their newborn baby.”

Author: