Government launches landmark review of parental leave

The Government has launched a major review of parental leave and pay to better support working families and help children get the best start in life.

The review, which is part of the Government’s Plan to Make Work Pay, will look at existing leave and pay entitlements including:

Maternity leave and pay
Paternity leave and pay
Adoption leave and pay
Shared parental leave and pay
Parental bereavement leave and pay
Neonatal care leave and pay
Unpaid parental leave
Maternity Allowance.

The review will also consider a new employment right to unpaid bereaved partner’s paternity leave that is currently under development. The Government aims to bring this new right into force in 2026.

To inform the work of the review, a call for evidence was opened on 1 July 2025 which will run until 11.59pm on 25 August 2025.

Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner, said: “Those early years are the most special time for families, but too many struggle to balance their work and home lives.”

“Supporting working parents isn’t just the right thing to do — it’s vital for our economy.”

“Through our Plan to Make Work Pay, we’re already improving the parental leave system with new day-one rights. This ambitious review will leave no stone unturned as we deliver for working families.”

The Government expects the review to last for 18 months. It will conclude with a set of findings and a roadmap, including next steps for any potential reforms.

On 1 July 2025, the Government published Implementing the Employment Rights Bill: Our Roadmap for Delivering Change setting out planned implementation dates for the reforms in the Employment Rights Bill. According to the roadmap, measures to remove the service requirement for paternity leave and unpaid parental leave will take effect in April 2026.

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Government launches landmark review of parental leave

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