The current stance on parental bereavement leave is dictated by the Parental Bereavement (Leave and Pay) Act (Northern Ireland) 2022, which provides eligible employees with a statutory right to two weeks leave and pay following the death of a child under 18 years old or a stillbirth, including the loss of pregnancy after 24 weeks. Currently, there is a 26-week qualifying period before employees can exercise this right.
The Department of Economy is set to expand these legal provisions on 6 April 2026.
In January 2026, the Minister for the Department of Economy, Dr Caoimhe Archibald MLA, released a Departmental Response Document which lays out the policy position to expand the existing right to Parental Bereavement.
The current position on Parental Bereavement will be extended to include those who have experienced a miscarriage before 24 weeks. Eligible employees will have the right to two weeks paid leave within 56 weeks of the date of knowledge of the miscarriage. Leave may be taken either as: -
a. One two-week block or,
b. Two separate one week blocks
These rights will become available to employees from the first day of their employment (i.e. a day one right). Therefore, from 6 April 2026, the previous 26-week qualifying period shall be abolished.
Furthermore, the definition of miscarriage has been expanded to include spontaneous miscarriages and pregnancy loss after medical intervention (for example, in the event of molar or ectopic pregnancies). Further to...
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