Wolverhampton Wanderers FC have become the first Championship club to voluntarily introduce a policy based on the principles of Hugh’s Law, taking another step in a campaign built to protect working parents when a child becomes critically ill.
The move means Wolves are following in the footsteps of Brentford, which had already become the first Premier League club and organisation in the UK to adopt Hugh’s Law. But this latest decision is still significant in its own right because it turns support into an organisational policy rather than waiting for legislation to do the job.
Hugh’s Law was established in memory of Hugh Menai-Davis, who died in 2021 after a 10-month battle with cancer. Since then, Ceri Menai-Davis and Frances Menai-Davis have campaigned for stronger protections for working parents facing the kind of crisis no family ever wants to imagine.
What Wolves have agreed
At Wolves, the policy is designed to give employees enhanced paid leave and employment protection if their child becomes critically ill. It is a practical response to a deeply difficult situation, and one that aims to give families reassurance at the moment they need it most.
Carly Powell, the club’s senior HR manager, said Wolves are proud to be the first Championship club to bring in a policy based on Hugh’s Law principles. She added that looking after people goes beyond what happens at work, especially when they are going through some of the hardest times in their lives.
Powell also pointed to Brentford’s lead and said the hope is that other football clubs, businesses and organisations will follow. The wider aim, as the campaign makes clear, is still lasting legislative change.
Why the support matters
Ceri Menai-Davis said Wolves’ backing means a great deal to the family and the families they represent, describing the club as one with a proud history and deep roots in its community. That local connection matters, because this is about more than a policy statement. It is about whether a workplace has a safety net in place when life becomes unmanageable.
She also said families employed by the club will know they will be supported if their child becomes seriously ill, giving them reassurance during the most difficult time of their lives.
For Wolves, the move places the club firmly among the organisations treating Hugh’s Law as something to act on now. For the campaign, it is another important step — and another sign that football can use its platform to set a standard beyond the pitch.
