Landmark changes to parental leave are set to be laid before Parliament on Monday, granting parents enhanced workplace rights from their first day in a new job, as part of the government’s flagship overhaul of workers’ rights.
The reforms, contained within Labour’s Employment Rights Act, will extend unpaid parental leave from day one of employment, a move ministers say will benefit an additional 1.5 million parents by giving families greater flexibility to share childcare responsibilities.
The legislation, which applies across England, Scotland and Wales, was met with audible cheers in the House of Commons when it passed into law last December. Northern Ireland is not covered by the Act.
Alongside parental leave reforms, the Act introduces a package of measures aimed at strengthening employment protections, including statutory sick pay from the first day of work, an expansion of bereavement leave, a ban on zero-hour contracts, and a new right to guaranteed working hours.
It also provides stronger protections for whistleblowers reporting sexual harassment, alongside reforms to trade union and industrial action laws designed to modernise existing legislation.
However, the government stopped short of introducing day-one protection against unfair dismissal, a proposal originally included but later dropped to secure the Bill’s passage through Parliament.
Ministers now intend to introduce the right after six months of service instead.
Announcing the changes, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the reforms would ensure new parents are no longer forced into impossible choices.
“The changes we’re bringing in will mean every new parent can properly take time off when they have a child, and no one is forced to work while ill just to make ends meet,” he said.
“This is about giving working families the support they need to balance work, health and the cost of living. Stronger sick pay, parental leave from day one, and protections that put dignity back at the heart of work.”
While the legislation has been welcomed by trade unions and campaigners, business groups have raised concerns that it could add further financial pressure on employers already facing rising national insurance contributions.
What the new parental rights mean
Paternity leave from day one
From April, fathers will gain the right to paternity leave from their first day in a new job, bringing the entitlement into line with maternity leave.
Previously, employees were required to have worked for their employer for at least 26 weeks before qualifying.
The government said the change would ensure parents are “no longer forced to make the heart-wrenching choice between being there for the first weeks of their child’s life or going back to work to avoid losing their job”.
Unpaid parental leave from day one
All parents will also become eligible for unpaid parental leave from the first day of employment. Until now, employees had to work for a year before qualifying, meaning those who changed jobs often lost their entitlement altogether.
The reform comes as ministers continue a wider review of parental leave and pay, aimed at assessing how the system can work more effectively for both families and employers.
Expanded bereavement leave
Under separate but related legislation, bereaved partners will gain significantly enhanced rights from April. Fathers whose partner dies before their child’s first birthday will now be entitled to up to 52 weeks of leave.
Previously, there was no automatic entitlement to paternity or parental leave in such circumstances, even where the father became the sole carer for a young child.
A new statutory right to unpaid bereavement leave will also apply from day one of employment and will be expanded to include pregnancy loss before 24 weeks.
According to the Department for Business and Trade, an estimated 390,000 people who want to work, including parents, are currently out of employment due to caring responsibilities.
Aaron Horsey, who campaigned for reform after his wife Bernadette died during childbirth, welcomed the changes.
“Bereaved Partner’s Paternity Leave ensures that new parents and their employers have a clear route for support at one of the most difficult moments imaginable,” he said.
“It gives them the time and space they need to grieve, care, and begin to rebuild their lives with dignity. By embedding this protection in law, it shows how listening to lived experience can lead to practical, compassionate change that will support families for generations to come.”
Trade unions have also strongly backed the legislation. TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said the reforms would bring the UK closer to international standards.
“Britain will now be brought into line with other countries where workers already have better protections,” he said.
“Crucially, the legislation will give working people the higher living standards and secure incomes needed to build a decent life. Good employers will also welcome these changes – the Act protects them from competitors whose business models are built on low-paid, insecure employment.”
