Three new Acts confirmed: (i) The Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Act, (ii) Carer’s leave Act and (iii) Statutory Neonatal (Leave and Pay) Act

In January this year we reported on the potential new laws going through Parliament which included three government-backed Private Members’ Bills around protection from redundancy, carers leave and statutory neonatal leave and pay. On 24 May 2023, these Bills received Royal Assent and have passed into law. The government will lay down secondary legislation “in due course” to implement these new entitlements. 

Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Act

This will extend redundancy protection from when pregnancy is first disclosed, to 18 months after birth. The protection is also extended for those on adoption or shared parental leave.

Carer’s Leave Act

This is a new statutory day-one right to employees with up to one week (5 days) of unpaid Statutory Carer’s Leave per year.

Statutory Neonatal (Leave and Pay) Act

This will provide employees with up to 12 weeks’ paid leave if their child requires a hospital stay of over 7 days. This leave will be in addition to other statutory leave entitlements for maternity and paternity leave.  The length of leave and statutory neonatal pay will be based on how long a baby receives neonatal care and will apply where a baby receives neonatal care for more than 7 continuous days before they reach 28 days old. 

We will keep you updated on the progress on timing on the secondary legislation for these new Acts and the changes/impact the new legislation will have on you. 

For any queries or further information, please contact Jo Cullen Head of Employment at Edwards Duthie Shamash for a free initial discussion on Josephine.Cullen@edslaw.co.uk or 020 8475 7401.

The information contained in this article is provided for guidance. It is provided for your information only and should not be used as a substitute for obtaining legal advice that it specific to your particular circumstances. It is strongly recommended that you seek advice before taking action.