| This new entitlement applies with respect to babies born (or placed for adoption) on or after 6th April 2025, and where they are placed into neonatal care within 28 days of birth or adoption. It applies to parents (and partners of birth mothers/adopters).
The entitlement is for up to 12 weeks’ Neonatal Care Leave (NCL) and it must be taken within 68 weeks of the baby’s birth (or placement for adoption). This applies in addition to any other type of statutory leave that the employee may be entitled to (e.g. maternity or paternity leave). It is anticipated that employees will normally want to add it on to the end of any other statutory leave, so that they benefit from a longer period of paid leave.
If NCL is taken whilst the baby is receiving care, it can be taken in non-continuous blocks of a minimum of one week at a time – this will be knows as Tier 1 Leave. If taken after care has ended, that is Tier 2 Leave and it must be taken in one continuous block.
Statutory Neonatal Care Pay (SNCP) applies where the employee has 26 weeks’ continuous service and earns on average the Lower Earnings Level (currently £123 per week). That is the same as for the entitlement to Statutory Maternity Pay, Statutory Adoption Pay, etc.
Similar to other types of family leave, the employee retains their terms and conditions of employment (other than pay) whilst on leave and the right to return to the same job.
We will be writing appropriate policies and rolling them out to all our customers in time for this change. If you would like to find out how we could support you, please get in touch. |
