Family Leave & Pay – Changes Effective 6 April 2026
The following updates reflect upcoming changes introduced under the Employment Rights Act 2025 and related statutory reforms. These changes apply to parents whose child is born or placed for adoption on or after 6 April 2026, unless otherwise stated.
- Paternity Leave – Now a Day‑One Right
From 6 April 2026, employees will qualify for statutory paternity leave from their first day of employment, removing the previous 26‑week service requirement. [acas.org.uk],
Paternity leave can also now be taken after a period of Shared Parental Leave, increasing flexibility for families planning their time away from work.
- Parental Leave – Day‑One Entitlement
Statutory unpaid parental leave will also become available from day one of employment from 6 April 2026. The previous one‑year qualifying period is removed. [acas.org.uk], [wrpartners.co.uk]
Employees retain the right to take up to 18 weeks per child, capped at four weeks per year.
- Transitional Notice Rules for Paternity Leave (April–July 2026 Only)
Where the expected week of childbirth falls between 5 April and 25 July 2026, temporary transitional rules apply.
The usual notice period is reduced to allow newly eligible employees to take paternity leave as the day‑one right comes into force. [birketts.co.uk]
These transitional rules apply only for this window.
Statutory right to maternity, paternity, parental and adoption leave and pay.
For current statutory payment amounts, please refer to the following government sites:
Holiday entitlement during Maternity leave
The employee will continue to accrue both statutory and any additional contractual holiday entitlement during both the 26-week ordinary maternity leave period and the 26-week additional maternity leave period.
An employee who has indicated an intention to take maternity leave will be advised before she starts her ordinary maternity leave whether she has any outstanding holiday entitlement. The Employer may:
- require the employee to take any such outstanding holiday before commencing maternity leave; or
- agree in conjunction with the relevant [department manager] that the employee should carry the leave over and take it on return to work after maternity leave; or
- (for holiday entitlement in excess of the statutory minimum) pay the employee for any outstanding holiday leave as if the employee were leaving.
These options will be discussed with the employee prior to the start of maternity leave.
Neonatal Care Leave (NCL)
From 6 April 2025 parents of babies in neonatal care are entitled to an additional 12 weeks of leave and pay if eligible, on top of parental leave, as of tomorrow
Templates of NCL policy and relevant form is available from Downloadable Templates: Family Friendly Policies.
Further reading is available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/neonatal-care-leave-and-pay-right-for-thousands-of-new-parents
Sample Policies and other templates related to Family Friendly Policies are available in the Downloadable Templates: Family Friendly Policies