22 June 2020
Public Consultation on Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay
The
Department for the Economy has launched a public consultation on the
introduction of new rights to Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay in Northern
Ireland.
Currently
there is no statutory provision in this jurisdiction to assist bereaved parents
seeking leave and pay at such a difficult time. The Department seeks to consult
on this important issue and subject to Assembly approval, it is envisaged that
provisions will be introduced in this jurisdiction that mirror those in the
rest of the UK.
The
anticipation of the Minister is that new legislation will introduce a
requirement for employers to grant a period of a minimum of two weeks of
parental bereavement leave, with pay (if eligible) at a statutory rate funded
by the Government.
The
consultation document may be viewed, and returns submitted via this link -
https://consultations.nidirect.gov.uk/dfe-employee-relations-policy-and-legislation-1/parental-bereavement-leave-and-pay
The
Consultation ends at 5 p.m. on 10 August 2020.
Please
submit your response directly to the Department via the above link.