The Employment (Amendment) Act 2026 has received Royal Assent, clearing the way for new statutory rights to be introduced for Neonatal Care Leave and Carer’s Leave on the Isle of Man.
Neonatal Care Leave will give parents extra time off when a baby requires neonatal intensive care, with entitlement linked to the length of the stay.
Carer’s Leave will create a new statutory framework to support employees with wider caring responsibilities, designed specifically for Manx circumstances.
The Act also enables the Department for Enterprise to expand entitlement to Parental Bereavement Leave.
Enterprise Minister Tim Johnston MHK said the legislation marked “another important step” in ensuring employment law reflects the realities faced by working families, adding that the new powers will support people “at some of the most challenging moments in family life”.
The Department will now work with stakeholders to develop the detailed regulations, which are expected to be brought forward early in the next administration.
