Royal Assent for ‘family friendly’ legislation
On 24 May 2023, three ‘family friendly’ Bills received Royal Assent, to become:
- The Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act.
- The Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Act.
- The Carer’s Leave Act.
The Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act
Under this Act, employed parents, whose baby has been admitted to neonatal care for a continuous period of at least seven days, will receive up to 12 weeks of paid neonatal care leave. This entitlement is in addition to other leave entitlements, including maternity leave and paternity leave.
The Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Act
This Act extends existing redundancy protections to cover pregnancy, from when an employee tells their employer they are pregnant, up until 18 months after the birth.
The Carer’s Leave Act
This Act creates a new statutory entitlement for employees, caring for a dependant with long-term care needs, to take a week of flexible unpaid leave per year.
When will these Acts come into force?
The government will lay down secondary legislation to implement these new entitlements. They are expected to come into force between 2024 and 2025.
Further information
Previous CEFM articles on some of this legislation can be found on the Centre for Education & Finance Management website:
New entitlement to carer’s leave when parliamentary time allows
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