April 2025 employment and immigration law changes

Statutory neonatal leave and pay will be available to employees of children born on or after 6 April 2025.

It is a day-one right to one week of leave for each qualifying week the child spends in neonatal care up to a maximum of 12 weeks. Neonatal care must begin within 28 days of the child’s birth and last for a continuous period of at least 7 days. Leave has to be taken in weekly blocks, either during neonatal care or at a later time (including after maternity or other statutory family leave) provided it is within 68 weeks of the child’s birth.

There is no minimum length of service required for neonatal leave. However to be eligible for neonatal pay, employees need to have 26 weeks' continuous service and average weekly earnings of at least the lower earnings limit.

Workbox by Brodies users can access more information and a template policy at the page on Neonatal Leave.

From 1 April 2025 the following changes will apply to criminal record checks and the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme:

• 'Level 1' and 'Level 2' checks will replace the current basic, standard, enhanced and PVG disclosure levels
• Individuals can ask for an independent review of some disclosure content, and they can explain the context for certain spent or childhood convictions before they are disclosed
• PVG scheme membership will become mandatory for anyone carrying out a regulated role with children and/or protected adults.

From 1 April 2026 lifetime PVG scheme membership will end, and memberships will expire after 5 years.

The national minimum wage rates will increase from 1 April 2025:

• National living wage (workers aged 21 and over) will increase from £11.44 to £12.21
• Development rate (workers aged 18-20) will increase from £8.60 to £10.00
• Young workers rate (workers aged 16 and 17 who are not apprentices) will increase from £6.40 to £7.55
• Apprentice rate (apprentices under 19 or aged 19 or over and in the first year of apprenticeship) will increase from £6.40 to £7.55.

From 6 April 2025:

• Statutory sick pay will increase from £116.75 to £118.75 per week
• Statutory maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental and parental bereavement pay will increase from £184.03 to £187.18 per week.

For any dismissals which take effect on or after 6 April 2025, the cap on the unfair dismissal compensatory award will be the lower of £118,223 (up from £115,115) or 52 weeks' gross pay.

The limit on a week's pay will rise from £700 to £719 from 6 April 2025. As a result, the maximum basic award and statutory redundancy payment will be £21,570.

Read our blog on changes to the skilled worker route effective from 9 April 2025.