New employment legislation helps create a better society
A positive development for parents whose children are in neonatal care is to be warmly welcomed.
As of 6 April 2025, new employment legislation will allow eligible parents to take up to 12 weeks of leave and pay, on top of maternity and paternity parents of babies who are admitted into neonatal care up to 28 days old and who have a continuous stay in care of seven days or longer.
The UK data shows that one in seven newborn babies are cared for in a specialist hospital unit.
The Labour government’s employment rights bill, having passed its third reading in the House of Commons last month, will also provide other other vital employment reforms such as menopause support, day-one rights for paternity, parental and bereavement leave for eligible workers, as well as protections against unfair dismissal for pregnant women and new mothers.
In addition the proposed legislation, will grant a right to bereavement leave for those experiencing a miscarriage, with and their partners will be given the right to two weeks of bereavement leave if they have suffered a pregnancy loss before 24 weeks’ gestation.
Other employment rights improvements allow for 1.3 million of the lowest-paid UK workers to be guaranteed sick pay worth up to 80% of their weekly salary from the first day of sickness.
Many of the changes have been long campaigned for and awaited and they will make a huge difference to the lives of those I work with and support.
For far too long a failing to give due regard and compassion to those whose babies are in neonatal units and those who lose their babies through miscarriage has prevailed, adding to the stress and trauma already bring experienced.
The employment rights minister, Justin Madders referencing the neonatal components of the changes praised campaigners and parents with experience of caring for very poorly children, calling them “an inspiration to us all” for showing the necessity of the new leave and pay entitlement.
The new right to neonatal care leave and pay is expected to benefit around 60,000 new parents and all of the new babies concerned.