When can I take the leave?
The leave must be taken within 68 weeks of your baby’s birth. Your employer will treat the leave that you take differently depending on whether you take it while your baby is in hospital (referred to as Tier 1), or later in those 68 weeks once your baby is no longer receiving medical care (referred to as Tier 2).
Taking Neonatal Care Leave with your Maternity Leave
If you are entitled to Maternity Leave, the start of this will be triggered by the birth of your baby or babies. Once Maternity Leave has started, it cannot be stopped and restarted, which means you will take all of the Neonatal Care Leave that you accrue after your period of Maternity Leave has finished. Assuming your baby has been discharged from neonatal care, this would fall in the Tier 2 period.
