Royal assent for new legislation

The Government has announced that three long-awaited pieces of legislation received royal assent on 24 May 2023.

• The Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act, will allow eligible employed parents whose new-born baby is admitted to neonatal care to take up to 12 weeks’ paid leave, in addition to other leave entitlements such as maternity and paternity leave.
• The Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Act, extends the existing redundancy protections while on Maternity Leave, Adoption Leave 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, creates a new statutory unpaid leave entitlement for employees who are caring for a dependant with a long-term care need.

The Government has stated that it will lay down secondary legislation in due course to implement these new rights.