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Following the publication of the Department for the Economy’s ‘Good Jobs’ consultation response in April, Northern Ireland is preparing to introduce key measures aimed at modernising its employment law framework, including reforms to pay and benefits and proposals for a right to disconnect.

On 28 April, Dr Caoimhe Archibald, the newly appointed Minister for the Economy, published the Department’s summary of responses to the ‘Good Jobs’ Employment Rights Bill consultation. Alongside this, the Department issued its official response paper, outlining the proposals it now intends to seek Executive approval for. We wrote about this here.

Two of the key changes announced under Theme B: Pay and Benefits, relate to calculation of holiday pay and the introduction of a statutory Code of Practice on the right to disconnect. In this article we look at the proposals outlined by the Department for the Economy and what they mean for in employers in Northern Ireland.

Holiday Pay: A simpler approach?

Employees or workers are entitled to receive 5.6 weeks’ paid holidays in each leave year, consisting of four weeks leave based on EU law and 1.6 additional weeks provided under domestic law. For many workers, the amount of pay received for their holiday depends on their hours worked and how they are paid. Pay received during leave should reflect what the worker would have earned if they were working.

This is relatively straightforward for workers who receive fixed pay but becomes more...

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