New employment rights on the way for working parents

Three Bills which have now received Royal Assent, will provide new employment protections for parents and unpaid carers.

Once they come into force, the following three Acts will provide new protections in these areas:

• The Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act will allow eligible employed parents whose newborn baby is admitted to neonatal care to take up to 12 weeks of paid leave, in addition to other leave entitlements.

• The Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Act will allow the extension of existing redundancy protections whilst on maternity, adoption or shared parental leave to also cover pregnancy and a period of time after a new parent has returned to work.

• The Carer’s Leave Act will create a new statutory unpaid leave entitlement for employees who are caring for a dependant with a long-term care need.

The government will introduce secondary legislation to implement these new entitlements on a date yet to be announced.