Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Act gets Royal Assent

A Bill, the Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Bill, which began life as a Private Members Bill, presented by Barnsley MP Dan Jarvis, has been given Royal Assent and will now be incorporated into existing maternity protections.

The Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Act allows the extension of existing redundancy protections whilst on Maternity Leave, Adoption Leave or Shared Parental Leave to also cover pregnancy and a period of time after a new parent has returned to work.

Unison have been working with the Labour MP on improvements to these entitlements. Their General Secretary Christina McAnea blogged about the changes earlier this year and policy officer Anna Birley has been working closely with Jarvis on the detail of the Bill.

The Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Bill was part of a package of measures given Royal Assent this week. The Government will lay down secondary legislation in due course to implement these new entitlements. In a Press Release, ‘Workers’ rights wins for parents and carers’, they laid out how the changes would affect parents and carers. Parents and carers will benefit from the following new protections once in forceL

• Up to 12 weeks of paid neonatal care leave for employed parents whose children are admitted to neonatal care, so that they can spend more time with their baby at what is a hugely stressful time. This is in addition to other leave and pay entitlements such as maternity and paternity.
• Redundancy protection for pregnant women and new parents with the extension of existing redundancy protections to cover pregnancy and a period of time after parents return to work
• A new entitlement for unpaid carers to a week of flexible unpaid leave a year, for employees who are caring for a dependant with a long-term care need. This will enable carers to better balance their caring and work responsibilities, supporting them to remain in employment.

Business Minister Kevin Hollinrake said:

“We know how stressful it can be for parents caring for a new-born in neonatal care, or someone who is trying to juggle work with caring responsibilities, and these additional protections will ensure they get the support they need.”

Unison General Secretary Christina McAnea said:

“What new parents often need most is job security, but pregnant workers and new parents are too often first in line for redundancy. This new law represents a significant win for Unison members as well as adding greater workplace protections to the statute book.”