Neonatal Care Leave and Pay Documents

Usually yes, but not everyone qualifies. You must be an employee (workers are not normally entitled to the leave, although some may get the pay) and you must be the baby's parent, or the partner of the baby's mother or adopter with caring responsibility for the baby. If you meet that and your baby was born on or after 6 April 2025, was admitted to neonatal care within 28 days of birth and received continuous neonatal care for at least seven full days, you are entitled to Statutory Neonatal Care Leave (SNCL). This is a day-one right needing no minimum service. You can take one week per week your baby spends in neonatal care, up to 12 weeks, on top of any maternity, paternity or other parental leave. The Simply-Docs Neonatal Care Leave Policy template sets out these rights for employees.

Yes, but with limits on who counts as a partner. The right to neonatal care leave extends beyond biological parents to cover a child's parent, intended parent, adopter, prospective adopter and the partner of the mother, adopter, prospective adopter or overseas adopter, where that person has caring responsibility for the baby. The entitlements are not available to the partner of the baby's biological father unless they apply or intend to apply for a parental order as part of a surrogacy arrangement in respect of the child. In adoption cases, entitlement runs from the date of placement (or the date the child arrives in Great Britain for overseas adoptions). A well-drafted policy should set out eligibility across all these relationships so managers can apply the rules consistently. The Simply-Docs Neonatal Care Leave Policy template reflects the full scope of who qualifies under the Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023.

Put in place a written neonatal care leave policy setting out the statutory entitlement introduced by the Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023 (in force from 6 April 2025). It should cover eligibility, how much leave and pay the employee is entitled to, how they notify you and how leave interacts with any maternity, paternity or other parental leave already being taken. GOV.UK guidance recommends making the policy clear and accessible so affected employees can quickly understand their rights during a stressful period. The Simply-Docs Neonatal Care Leave Policy is a ready-to-use template covering the statutory requirements.

Neonatal care leave is in addition to and does not reduce any maternity, paternity, adoption or shared parental leave the employee is already entitled to. Usually the employee is on another form of statutory parental leave when the baby is in neonatal care, so the neonatal leave is tagged on at the end: this is Tier 2 leave and must be taken in one continuous block. Leave taken while the baby is still in neonatal care, or within a week of discharge, is Tier 1 and can be taken in non-consecutive weekly blocks. All leave must be taken within 68 weeks of the baby's birth.

It depends on which tier of leave you take. For Tier 1 leave (while the baby is in neonatal care or within a week of discharge), you must give notice before your first day of absence or as soon as reasonably practicable, and it need not be in writing. For Tier 2 leave (more than a week after discharge), 15 days' written notice is required for one week and 28 days' for two or more consecutive weeks. Employers and employees can agree to waive these requirements. Always confirm notice requirements with your employer's policy.