10/11/2026

We have been keeping members updated on the proposed developments of the ‘Good Jobs Bill’ since the consultation and response documents were issued in 2024 and 2025 respectively. We had expected a draft Bill by Spring of this year. However, we advised members some months ago that this might not happen because of disagreement between the political parties within the Executive regarding the proposals in the legislation.

We have now learned, via an Assembly statement by Declan Kearney MLA (Sinn Fein) on 9 November 2026, that the Bill will not become law before the end of the current Assembly mandate in May 2027. See Northern Ireland Assembly Official Report, 9 November 2026

This means that the proposed wider package of employment reforms in Northern Ireland will not be implemented in the first half of 2027. It does not, however, rule out smaller measures progressing separately.

Why has progress stalled?

Before a piece of legislation can be put before the Assembly, it must be approved by the Executive. It has been widely reported that there has been significant political disagreement regarding certain aspects of the Bill, to the extent that consent was not reached for the Bill to be put before the Assembly.

We understand that the primary area of contention has been the proposed expansion of rights in relation to trade union access.

Declan Kearney has criticised the DUP’s opposition, arguing that it has prevented legislation intended to strengthen workers’ rights from progressing. His statement highlighted issues including workers keeping their tips and access to leave for carers and parents.

The DUP says that the Bill did not have sufficient support from the business community and that employers’ concerns about cost, practical implementation and the wider economic impact were not adequately addressed.

The DUP had proposed splitting the legislation into separate parts. Under that approach, measures with sufficient agreement could have progressed, such as the family-friendly measures and provisions relating to tips, while more contentious provisions, such as trade union access, could have been considered further. This proposal was rejected, which could have allowed some reforms to proceed under the current mandate.

Could some measures still go ahead?

We understand that the Minister of the Economy is still seeking to progress the Good Jobs Charter, with a possible launch before the end of this mandate. That remains a potential development.

A separate possibility is that some smaller measures from the Bill could be proposed as amendments to other legislation already before the Assembly. This could provide a route for individual changes even if the full Bill does not proceed. Which measures might be taken forward, and on what timetable, however, remains uncertain.

One measure we would welcome is a change to a 12-month reference period used to calculate holiday pay instead of 12 weeks, which it currently is. This would also reflect the current position in GB.

What could happen after this mandate?

The direction of any future Bill will very much depend on the next Executive’s priorities and who holds the Economy portfolio. It is fully expected the Sinn Fein will want to take the Minister for the Economy position again so it could return to employment reform, potentially press ahead with a broader package of proposals.

We will continue to monitor developments on the Charter and any individual legislative amendments.

We will keep members informed as further details become available.