UPDATE ON THE PUBLICATION OF THE GOOD JOBS BILL (29 January 2026)
- On 21 January 2026, the Minister for the Economy attended the Committee for the Economy and provided an update on progress of the Good Jobs Bill.
- The Bill was originally intended to be PUBLISHED by the END OF JANUARY 2026. With only one week remaining, the Minister confirmed that this would not happen.
- The Minister stated that significant portions of the drafted Bill, along with detailed policy papers for the remaining elements, would instead be brought to the Executive, likely on 12 February 2026.
- The Bill must receive Executive approval before it can be passed to the Committee.
- The Committee expressed clear annoyance at only learning on 21 January that the planned publication date would not be met. The Chairperson commented: “That is the first time that you have said that publicly, Minister.”
- During the exchange, the Minister described the Bill as “the most significant upgrade of our employment legislation since devolution” and noted that “losing two years of the mandate has made developing legislation challenging.”
- She confirmed that “all of the instructions have been given to the drafters” and that “a considerable proportion of the legislation has been drafted.”
- When asked directly whether the work on the Bill had finished, she replied: “We do not have a final draft of the Bill.”
- Additional detail was provided by Mr Snowden, Permanent Secretary for the Department for the Economy, who stated: “The most recent estimate is that we will have it in March, possibly towards the end of the month.”
- This means the Bill will not be introduced in January 2026. The Minister acknowledged this, saying: “Given that there is only a week left, it will not be introduced in January 2026.”
- The Minister emphasised that the Department is continuing to push the work forward as quickly as possible, but highlighted the complexity of the legislation, particularly around trade union access and zero‑hours contracts.
- She stated that engagement with business organisations and trade unions had been “really worthwhile”, though it had contributed to the extended timeline.
- When asked how she could seek Executive approval without a completed Bill, the Minister explained that the Executive would receive “the bulk of the Bill as drafted and detailed policy set out on the other elements.”
Footnote:
- It is now likely that the full Good Jobs Bill will not be available until April 2026.
- There continues to be strong challenge from employers around the trade union access provisions.
- We await sight of the papers expected to be presented to the Executive on 12 February 2026 to understand the direction further.
- We will continue to keep Members updated
Key Information for Employers (20 January 2026)
On 20 January 2026, the Department for the Economy published its Miscarriage Leave and Pay Consultation Departmental Response Document following the 8 week Consultation that closed on 19 December 2025. The purpose of the Consultation was to consider how to extend the Statutory Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay provisions to include miscarriage and to make the right to pay a Day 1 Right (subject to meeting the lower earnings threshold, currently £125 per week).
Members may recall that the Parental Bereavement (Leave & Pay) Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 introduced the right for parents who suffer a stillbirth after 24 weeks or the death of a child under 18 to:
- 10 days of parental bereavement leave (a Day 1 right), and
- the statutory rate of pay, subject to a 26‑week qualifying period.
These rights did not extend to miscarriage (pregnancy loss before 24 weeks), and statutory pay required 26 weeks of continuous employment. However, the Department of the Economy committed to reviewing this with a view to extending the rights to miscarriage and make the right to pay a Day 1 right to pay.
The Consultation Document notes that Northern Ireland will be the first region across the UK and Ireland – and one of the first in the western hemisphere – to legislate for statutory miscarriage leave and pay.
New Rights from 6 April 2026
- Two Weeks of Statutory Bereavement Leave
- Available to the woman who experiences the miscarriage on or after 6 April 2026 and to eligible partners.
- Can be taken as two separate one‑week blocks or one continuous two‑week block.
- Must be taken within 56 weeks of the date of miscarriage or the date the woman became aware of it.
- Statutory Bereavement Pay
- The statutory rate of pay will be £194.32 from 6 April 2026.
- Employees must meet the existing lower earnings threshold (currently £125 per week).
- Statutory pay will become a Day 1 right.
- The current 26‑week qualifying period for pay following stillbirth and child‑death cases will also be removed.
Therefore, from 6 April 2026, both the right to parental bereavement leave and pay, including miscarriage, will apply from Day 1.
- Notice Requirements
- Only a self‑declaration will be required.
- No medical evidence will be requested.
The consultation noted that miscarriage can often be spontaneous and may not involve medical intervention, particularly in early pregnancy. Requiring evidence at such a distressing time would be insensitive and place unnecessary burdens on families and the health service.
- Definition of Miscarriage
- ‘Miscarriage’ will include spontaneous miscarriages and pregnancy loss following specified medical interventions.
- Eligibility will extend only to those directly linked to the pregnancy.
Action for Employers
- Review internal policies and HR systems to ensure they are updated ahead of the new rights coming into force on 6 April 2026.
- Raise awareness among managers so they can handle situations sensitively, particularly around notice and evidence requirements. This may be especially important where a miscarriage occurs before colleagues or managers were aware of the pregnancy.
We will review our template Policy and provide an updated one shortly.
Creating Safer Workplaces Sexual Harassment course
Effective Case Management of Complex Grievances
Strengthening the trade union voice and representation has been a key objective of the Department for the Economy.
At an employer focussed event the Minister for the Economy, her Special Adviser, and Department officials heard directly from businesses about their concerns. The Minister outlined proposals in the forthcoming Good Jobs Bill relating to trade unions which include:
Key Trade Union Proposals in the Good Jobs Bill
- Increased Trade Union Rights to Access Workplaces
- Unions will be able to request access to both unionised and non‑unionised workplaces.
- Purpose: to encourage more workers to become members and make recruitment easier.
- New LRA Code of Practice covering trade union access rights
- Code will be underpinned by good faith and reasonableness.
- Access rights cannot be used to disrupt or protest.
- Phased Implementation of Access Trade Union Access Rights
- Starting with larger businesses, moving towards smaller ones.
- Department will monitor implementation.
- Lower Threshold for Statutory Trade Union Recognition
- Reduced from 21 employees to 10.
- Department modelling suggests this will only double the number of cases referred to the Industrial Court to compel recognition (around six per year).
- New Code of Practice on Facilitating Workplace Relationships
- Supporting respectful engagement between employers and unions, with accompanying guidance.
- Information & Consultation (ICE Regulations)
- Redefining “undertaking” to include smaller establishments and satellite offices.
- Reducing threshold for requests from 10% to 2% of employees.
- Lowering minimum number of employees required from 15 to 10.
Much of this approach is based on the New Zealand model, where similar rights were introduced 20 years ago. Interestingly, New Zealand is now repealing some of those laws.
The Minister’s Special Adviser Dr Lisa Wilson referred to her recent paper Trade Union Voice as a Lever For Good Jobs – Evidence, Policy, and Practice in Northern Ireland as evidence that collective voice through unions improves job quality, workplace relations, absenteeism rates, and business outcomes. This evidence was robustly challenged by the business community citing absenteeism rates in the heavily unionised public sector as compared to those in the private sector.
What Happens Next in Northern Ireland?
The Good Jobs Bill is currently with the Office for Legislative Counsel for drafting and will be presented to the Assembly early in the new year. Proposals on union voice and representation will face close scrutiny from businesses and the Committee for the Economy.
While the session was tough, the Department acknowledged the importance of listening to employer concerns and committed to ongoing consultation.
Developments in GB: Consultation on Modernising Union Balloting
On 19 November 2025, the GB Government published its consultation document Make Work Pay: Draft Code of Practice on Electronic and Workplace Balloting for Statutory Union Ballots.
The consultation runs until 11:59pm on 28 January 2026.
Currently, almost all statutory ballots must be conducted by post. The new Code proposes modernised voting methods to make participation easier, ensure transparency, and reflect the voices of working people.
What Employers Need to Know
The draft Code sets out:
- Legal requirements for each party involved in a ballot.
- Factors to consider when choosing a voting method.
- Good practice guidance for electronic and workplace ballots.
Proposed Balloting Methods
- Pure electronic balloting – fully digital distribution, casting, and return of votes.
- Hybrid electronic balloting – voting materials sent by post, with votes returned either by post or electronically.
- Workplace balloting – in‑person voting at the workplace or agreed off‑site locations.
All ballots will continue to be overseen by an independent scrutineer. The Secretary of State must be satisfied that ballots meet required standards:
- All entitled members can vote.
- Votes remain secret.
- Risks of unfairness or malpractice are minimised.
Implementation Timeline
- Phase 1 (2026): Electronic and workplace balloting introduced for specific union ballots, overseen by a new Senior Oversight Board.
- Phase 2 (end of 2026): Expansion of pure electronic balloting to recognition and derecognition ballots.
- Phase 3 (2027 onwards): Ongoing review and enhancement of the regime.
Northern Ireland Context
This Code will only apply in England, Wales, and Scotland only. In Northern Ireland, employment law is devolved. However, the learnings from this Consultation may well shape the direction In Northern Ireland as the Department for the Economy will also adopt separate legislation to permit electronic balloting systems here.