Parents and carers set to receive new leave entitlements and protections as Bills receive Royal Assent

Three seperate private member Bills received Royal Assent on the 24 May 2023. The Bills were introduced to provide for additional leave rights and statutory protections for parents and carers as follows:

• Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023 will provide employed parents with up to 12 weeks’ paid leave where their child has been admitted to neonatal care. This is in addition to any other leave and paid entitlements (including maternity or paternity leave);

• Carer's Leave Act 2023 will provide any employee who cares for a dependent with a long-term care need with 5 days of unpaid carer’s leave on top of their annual leave entitlement; and

• Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Act 2023 extends existing redundancy protections whilst on maternity leave, adoption leave or shared parental leave to apply from the date the employee informs their employer that they are pregnant until 18 months after the birth.

The Government will lay down series of secondary legislation in due course to bring into force the above entitlements and to provide more detail on eligibility. It has been reported that the neonatal entitlements are expected to be delivered in April 2025. A timetable has not yet been set for when the provisions of the Carer’s Leave Act will be implemented but this is not expected to occur before April 2024.

Find out more here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/workers-rights-wins-for-parents-and-carers

If you would like further advice on statutory leave entitlements and redundancy protections, please contact Lucy Williams.