'Long overdue' | New neonatal care leave and pay: a lifeline for parents with babies in hospital

Thousands of working families in the UK will soon benefit from a significant new employment right: the ability to take neonatal care leave from day one of their job. The government has confirmed that from 6 April 2025, parents of babies requiring neonatal care will be entitled to up to 12 weeks of additional leave (and pay if eligible), ensuring they can remain by their child’s side without financial distress.

Currently, many parents of sick or premature babies face an impossible dilemma - returning to work while their newborn is in hospital or using up their existing leave. The new measure, following the passing of the Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act in 2023, aims to change this. It applies to parents of babies admitted to neonatal care within their first 28 days of life and who require at least a seven-day hospital stay. The entitlement, a key part of the government’s broader employment rights reforms, will be a day one right, available to employees from their first day in a new job.