Neonatal Care Leave 'would have been invaluable to us as a family'

Government is proposing legislation to allow up to 12 weeks of extra parental leave to those eligible

Parents whose newborn babies needed neonatal care say being allowed special leave during that period would have been 'invaluable'.

It's as government is considering allowing up to 12 weeks of additional leave to those whose children need to be cared for in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit).

The measure would form part of the Employment (Amendment) Bill 2025, which is having its first reading in the House of Keys today (Tuesday 2 December).

In April, for example, legislation went live which allowed people to take time off work for family appointments and emergencies, as well as for appointments during an adoption process.

It also made changes to the Island's whistleblowing policy.

And now, there are two more additions government wants to make.

Firstly, it wants to improve the ability for unpaid carers to take leave from work.

This would include a period of one extra week of leave being available each year, as well as the option to take an extended leave of absence to help manage caring responsibilities.

The other piece of legislation it wants to bring in is the introduction of 'Neonatal Care Leave'.

If approved, this would mean eligible parents could claim up to 12 weeks of additional parental leave, which would be linked to the duration of care needed.

But what kind of a difference could that extra leave have?

Charlotte Leonard is from Peel and her two boys needed to be in the NICU when they were born in 2021:

As part of this legislation, there will be no obligation for these leave periods to be paid for by the employer, although the Department for Enterprise says it's working closely with Treasury to develop options for eligible individuals to access financial assistance during that time.

Enterprise Minister Tim Johnston says these measures will help keep people in work in the long term while providing practical frameworks for employers. 

He adds it will help balance the needs of a changing workforce with those of employers, while keeping pace with developments in neighbouring jurisdictions.

The Bill will have its first reading in the House of Keys today (2 December) which is the start of its journey to becoming a new law.