Employees to have right to neonatal care leave from April 6, 2025

From April 6, 2025, employees will have the right to up to 12 weeks’ leave where they have a child requiring neonatal medical care. There will be no length of service requirement for the right to apply.

Regulations will allow employers to reclaim payments of statutory pay from HMRC. Further draft regulations setting out requirements for pension provision during neonatal leave are awaiting final Parliamentary approval. Scheme rules which are not drafted sufficiently widely to allow for the new care leave will need to be amended.