Employees in England, Wales and Scotland with children born, or placed for adoption, on or after 6 April 2025, have a right to 12 weeks' time off work to take neonatal care leave (and receive statutory neonatal care pay) for their child. It applies to qualifying employees whose child is receiving neonatal care within 28 days of the day they were born or after the day they were placed for adoption.

You can use this policy to make your workforce aware of your rules and procedures for taking neonatal care leave and receiving statutory neonatal care pay. It sets out:

• Information about the policy, including who it's for, its purpose and scope, and how it'll be communicated and implemented
• The entitlement to leave and pay
• How employees qualify for leave and pay
• How employees can request leave and pay
• How an employee's entitlement is calculated and how and when notice is given
• The rules for receiving statutory neonatal care pay
• How employees can withdraw their booked leave
• What happens if their child dies
• The interaction between this leave and other types of statutory family leave
• Your employees' contractual rights and benefits when leave (including rights when returning to work)
• The consequences of breaching the policy (e.g. claiming carer's leave dishonestly).