Parents of seriously ill children should get paid leave, says commissioner
BBC News
In this story:
- Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza calls for paid leave for parents of seriously ill children.
- She suggests a legal right to 12 weeks of paid leave at 90% of normal pay.
- Her intervention follows government consultations on supporting families and unpaid carers.
Parents of children with serious illnesses or disabilities should be entitled to paid leave from work, according to the children’s commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza.
She advocates for the government to introduce a legal right to 12 weeks of paid leave at 90% of normal pay to ease the immense pressure and lost earnings families face when a child develops a debilitating condition.
"Parents should not be forced to choose between being at their seriously ill child’s bedside and keeping their job," said Dame Rachel.
Her proposal comes after campaigning by the parents of Hugh Menai-Davis, who died of cancer aged six in 2021. They advocate for a change in employment law guaranteeing three months’ salaries to parents facing serious illness.
A consultation on reforms to family and carer support is due to close on Monday.
Kate Dearden, minister for the future of work, expressed her sympathy for affected families and pledged to move quickly to consider enhancing support and employment rights.
