The Work Couch: Neonatal care leave (Part 2): Managing the process and supporting employees, with Joanna Holford and Catriona Ogilvy

Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment.

In the second part of our series on the new statutory right to neonatal care leave, which came into force on 6 April 2025, host Ellie Gelder is joined once again by Joanna Holford, senior associate, from our employment, engagement and equality team, and Catriona Ogilvy, founder and chair of charity The Smallest Things.

Catriona and her team have worked tirelessly to campaign for better support for employees whose babies require neonatal care, while Joanna is frequently advising employer clients on all family-related rights.

In part 2, we discuss:

• How to communicate with employees during neonatal care leave;
• Ongoing challenges for parents beyond their return to work;
• Interaction of neonatal care leave with other forms of family-friendly leave;
• Scenarios not covered by the new legislation; and
• Practical considerations, including amending internal policies, providing line manager training, and offering effective support.

Listen to our previous conversation here: Neonatal care leave (Part 1): What is the new right, who is eligible, and does the law go far enough?.

For in-depth information and support, please visit The Smallest Things or Working Families, the UK's national charity for working parents and carers.

* Please note these podcasts will not run on Internet Explorer

We hope you enjoyed this episode. If you did, please subscribe to be notified when new episodes release.

You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to stay up to date with the latest episodes.

All information is correct at the time of recording.  

The Work Couch is not a substitute for legal advice.