The United Kingdom has recently passed legislation to improve workers' and families' rights and protections. These new laws include carer's unpaid leave, neonatal leave and pay, redundancy protection for new parents, and EU-derived worker rights.
Carer's Unpaid Leave
Under the Carer's Leave Act 2023, employees in the U.K. may take up to one week of unpaid leave annually to care for a dependant with long-term care needs, such as an elderly or disabled relative. While the precise timeframe for implementing this leave has yet to be announced, it is expected to come into force by April 2024.
Neonatal Paid Leave
To support parents of premature babies, the Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023 provides up to 12 weeks of neonatal leave and pay. This will be available to parents whose babies require neonatal care for at least seven days within the first 28 days after birth. Implementing this new leave is anticipated in April 2025 and will supplement existing statutory paternity and maternity rights.
Protection from Redundancy for New Parents
Effective 24 July 2023, the Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Act 2023 expands the protection against redundancy during maternity, adoption, and shared parental leave. Previously, employees in these circumstances had to be offered a suitable alternative vacancy if available. The new legislation extends this protection from when an employee notifies their employer of their pregnancy until 18 months after the child's birth. It also covers parents on adoption or shared parental leave and mothers who experience a miscarriage before notifying their employer of their pregnancy.
Post-Brexit Employment Reforms
The Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023, commonly known as the REUL Act, has received Royal Assent. While this legislation includes measures to revoke or reform retained EU law, no significant changes are related to employment law. However, the U.K. government has separately proposed changes regarding holiday entitlement and employee rights on business transfers as part of its post-Brexit employment reforms.
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Nathan North is Director of Strategic Initiatives for PayrollOrg.