New Neonatal Care Leave

From 6 April 2025 Neonatal Care Leave will come into effect in GB. This will provide up to 12 weeks of paid leave to parents if their newborn baby requires neonatal care in the first 28 days after birth. The amount of eligible leave is dependent on the length of time the baby spends in Neonatal Care.

The leave is in addition to existing parental leave including maternity, paternity, adoption, and shared parental leave.

As with all Parental Leave and Pay, being entitled to the Leave doesn’t necessarily mean that the employee is entitled to Pay from their Employer. Both elements are broken down below. AHR is also offering a free Neonatal Care Policy which can be obtained by contacting us here: https://www.ahruki.com/contact/

Neonatal Care Leave

Who’s Eligible: All employees from the first day of their employment, regardless of the length of their service. It applies to biological parents, adoptive parents, intended parents through surrogacy, partners of the mother, and those responsible for the child’s upbringing.

What are the circumstances: The baby must require neonatal care within the first 28 days after birth and remain in care for at least seven consecutive days.

When can this leave be taken: Employees can take up to 12 weeks of leave in full-week blocks, in addition to their existing statutory leave rights. The leave must be taken within 68 weeks of the child’s birth.

Statutory Neonatal Care Pay (SNCP)

Alongside the leave entitlement, eligible employees may also be entitled to Statutory Neonatal Care Pay (SNCP).

Who’s Eligible: Employees that have at least 26 weeks of continuous service with the employer by the 15th week before the baby’s due date or placement date for adoption and have earnings at or above the lower earnings limit (£125 per week from April 2025).

What is the rate of Pay: The statutory pay rate is the same as other statutory leave entitlements, such as Statutory Maternity/ Paternity/ Adoption Pay.

When this is Paid: Neonatal Care Leave is classified into two tiers based on when it is taken:

Tier 1 (Whilst the baby is in Neonatal Care): Can be taken in non-continuous blocks of at least one week. Employees should provide at least 15 days’ notice for each block of leave.

Tier 2 (When the baby is out of Neonatal Care): Can be taken in a single continuous block. Employees should provide at least 28 days’ notice to take this leave.

Employers may wish to be flexible with these notice periods through mutual agreement given the nature of the circumstances under which this leave is being requested.

Important Information

Employees remain entitled to all of their other contractual benefits (apart from pay) during Neonatal Care Leave.

AHR Suggestions

1. Introduce a Neonatal Leave and Pay Policy – a free template is available from AHR.

2. Ensure any systems or forms to request the leave are put in place.

3. Provide training to Managers so they are aware of this leave.

4. Be flexible with notice periods. When a parent is ready for a discussion, arrange this to assist them with their understanding of their entitlements and options. Establish the duration of neonatal care leave to be taken and work out the best way for the parent to take that leave in addition to their existing leave. It may be that they decide to take it all as Tier 2 when their baby is no longer in neonatal care.

ACAS have a new section with further details which can be accessed here: https://www.acas.org.uk/neonatal-care-leave-and-pay