Northern Ireland will provide working parents with two weeks of paid bereavement leave following a miscarriage, effective April 6. Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald announced the new regulations, which build on the 2022 Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay Act.

The 2022 legislation granted two weeks of paid leave to parents after the death of a child under 18 or a stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy. The updated rules now cover miscarriages and apply to both parents or partners.

The entitlement becomes a day-one right for all workers, removing the previous 26-week continuous employment requirement. Parents need only declare their eligibility, without medical evidence.

Minister Archibald stated that parents facing such loss deserve care and compassion, allowing time to grieve and support each other. Derry Sinn Féin MLA Ciara Ferguson welcomed the policy as progressive and compassionate.

An estimated 9,000 people in Northern Ireland experience miscarriage annually, either directly or as partners. The regulations will be formally enacted soon.