ARTICLE · 14 AUGUST 2023

New Rights For Carers And For Employees Requesting Flexible Work

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Several recent pieces of legislation — which have all received Royal Assent — establish new entitlements for neonatal care leave and carer's leave, provide protection against redundancy...

United KingdomEmployment and HR

Employer Action Code: Act

Several recent pieces of legislation — which have all received Royal Assent — establish new entitlements for neonatal care leave and carer's leave, provide protection against redundancy to employees during pregnancy and after taking family-related leave, and ease requirements for employees requesting flexible work arrangements.

Key details

The Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023 entitles employees to "statutory neonatal care" paid leave of up to 12 weeks (payable by the employer) in the event their child is admitted for neonatal care within 28 days after birth and when the care lasts for at least seven uninterrupted days. The leave may be taken by both parents, in addition to maternity or paternity leave, within 68 weeks of birth. The effective date of the entitlement, as well as the statutory neonatal care pay rate (expected to align with the statutory rates for the various parental leaves) will be specified in future

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