The following Bills became Acts after receiving Royal Assent in May 2023:
- The Carer’s Leave Act 2023
- The Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Act 2023
The Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023
Under this Act, parents of babies who require specialist neonatal care following birth will be entitled to statutory neonatal care leave. The Government has announced that it expects new neonatal leave and pay entitlements to be delivered in April 2025. Neonatal care leave will be in addition to other leave such as maternity and paternity leave.
The Carer’s Leave Act 2023
A date has yet to be announced for the implementation of the provisions of this Act. However, after implementation this Act will introduce a new and flexible entitlement of one week’s unpaid leave per year for employees that provide or arrange care for a dependant with a long-term care need.
The Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Act 2023
The purpose of this Act is to ensure that pregnant employees receive greater protection from redundancy during pregnancy. New parents will also receive extended protection following their return from maternity, adoption or shared parental leave.
Although the Act itself will come into force on 24 July 2023, the Government has not yet set a date for the implementation of the necessary regulations and have said that these will be laid before Parliament in “due course”.
If you are an employer and require any advice in respect of the above or any other employment issue, please contact the Employment Team at Morgan LaRoche.
