Scope

This Policy enacts the new rights in the UK Government’s Neonatal Care Leave and Pay Act 2025 for University of Bath employees with effect from 6 April 2025, when the new legislation and regulations come into force.

Rights to Neonatal Care Leave and Pay

An employee who is in a parental relationship with a child who is receiving or has received, neonatal care and has a continuous stay in hospital of 7 full days or longer has a right to statutory neonatal care leave (SNCL) of at least 1 week and up to 12 weeks.

This leave is in addition to any other leave to which they are entitled, including maternity and paternity leave. This leave must be taken within the 68 weeks beginning with the date of the birth of the child.

SNCL has two periods – Tier 1 and Tier 2.

Tier 1 is the leave taken while the child is receiving neonatal care, and for the seven days after the care ends. This leave cannot be taken during the first full week of neonatal care, meaning that week is not covered. That can be covered by the entitlement to maternity or paternity leave.

During Tier 1 employees can take SNCL in non-consecutive weeks.

In the case of Tier 1 leave the employee should give notice that they intend to take this leave to their line manager before they are due to start work on the first day of absence from work, or as soon as reasonably practical to do so.

Tier 2 applies to any remaining entitlement and must be taken in a single consecutive block.

The employee should give their line manager notice of their intention to take this leave as follows:

• For a single week of leave notice must be given at least 5 working days before the first day of leave and
• or two or more consecutive weeks of leave notice must be at least 14 working days before the first day of leave.
  

Statutory Neonatal Care Pay

Employees with at least 26 weeks continuous service before the week in which the child is born, or adopted, and who earn above the National Insurance minimum threshold will be eligible for statutory neonatal care pay. The statutory entitlement is either £187.18 per week or 90% of the employee’s normal weekly earnings if that is lower.

Statutory neonatal care pay can only be paid for any period only if the person gives notice in writing to Payroll stating the week or weeks in respect of which they are to be made.