Neonatal care leave and pay – employers’ technical guide published
The Government has now published detailed technical guidance for employers on neonatal care leave (NCL) and statutory neonatal care pay (SNCP), which came into effect for babies born on or after 6 April 2025.
New guidance published
On 22 August 2025 the Department for Business and Trade issued its employers' technical guide to neonatal care leave and pay. The 35-page guide explains how the new statutory entitlements work in practice, including eligibility, notice and information requirements, accrual of leave and pay, interaction with other types of family leave, and HMRC reporting obligations.
NCL is a day-one right, available to employees from their first day of employment. It applies where a baby is admitted to neonatal care within 28 days of birth and spends at least seven full, continuous days receiving care. Parents accrue one week of leave (and, if eligible, pay) for every seven days of qualifying care, up to a maximum of 12 weeks, which must be taken within 68 weeks of birth. SNCP is subject to the usual continuity of service and earnings tests, and employers may reclaim most statutory payments from HMRC.
The guidance confirms that a wide range of parents may qualify, including biological parents, adopters, intended parents in surrogacy arrangements and, in limited circumstances, surrogate birth mothers. It also explains how neonatal care leave fits around other statutory leave entitlements. For example, maternity and adoption leave cannot be stopped and restarted, so accrued neonatal care leave is normally taken at the end of those periods. The document also covers more complex situations, such as multiple births, readmissions into neonatal care and consultant-led care delivered at home.
Best practice
Employers should now review their family leave policies, payroll processes and manager guidance to ensure these new rights are properly embedded. The publication of the technical guide provides a useful framework for doing so and underlines the importance of a clear, compassionate approach in supporting parents during what is often a particularly difficult time.