BCC Introduces New Neonatal Leave And Pay Policy

Belfast City Council has become the first local authority in Northern Ireland to introduce a neonatal leave and pay policy for its staff.

Approved by council earlier this week, the new policy means that employees whose children require specialist care after birth will now be entitled to additional compassionate leave, without impacting upon their maternity or paternity leave entitlements.

At present, maternity leave must always begin no later than a child’s day of birth, regardless of whether a child is born prematurely - meaning families whose children are both premature or sick can often end up returning to work, having spent less time at home with their newborn child, rather would have otherwise been the case.

Following a motion agreed in February 2023, council has worked with local premature baby charity TinyLife to develop its own policy around the issue.

The new arrangements will provide up to 12 weeks additional leave for staff with a newborn child who has spent time in a neonatal care unit following birth. The leave can be taken any time up to 68 weeks after the baby’s birth and added onto maternity leave to ensure parents have the opportunity to spend the same amount of time at home with their newborn children, as babies delivered at full term and healthy. 

The amount of additional leave will depend on individual circumstances and, similar to legislation due to come into force in England, Scotland and Wales in 2025, it will be paid at the same rate as the weekly rate of statutory maternity pay, or the equivalent. It will apply to mothers, fathers, adoptive parents and staff with surrogacy arrangements.

Councillor Ryan Murphy, Chair of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee, welcomed the rollout of the new policy.

"We are the first council, and indeed one of the first local employers across the North, to implement a policy of this kind," he said.

"The health and wellbeing of our staff is so important to us, and the introduction of this enhanced leave provision will have a positive impact on those employees impacted by premature birth. It demonstrates our commitment to investing in our workforce and ensuring they feel supported in what can be a very difficult, stressful and traumatic time."

Joanne Morgan, CEO with TinyLife, said the policy is a positive step forward for employers in Northern Ireland.

"Following the birth of their child, most parents expect a hospital stay of a day or two before returning home with their baby. However, the situation is very different for the parents of the 1,900 babies admitted to a neonatal unit in Northern Ireland each year," she said.

"Some of these premature or sick babies will receive days or weeks of neonatal care, while others will spend months in the hospital. The inflexibility of current parental leave law heightens the trauma and stress felt by the whole family.

"The solution lies in keeping families together for as long as possible and allowing them the time to bond with, and care for, their premature or sick baby at home. Additional paid leave can help keep families together, improve parental and infant mental health and ease the financial burden of having a baby in neonatal care.

"TinyLife is delighted that Belfast City Council has shown great leadership in being the first council in Northern Ireland to voluntarily implement a policy of this type. This is a really positive step and we hope it will encourage not just other councils, but many more employers across Northern Ireland to follow suit."