While there are clear parallels with developments under the Employment Rights Act 2025 and ongoing reforms in Great Britain, Northern Ireland’s framework will operate independently - and in some areas may go further. This article explores the key pillars of reform and outlines some practical implications for employers operating in Northern Ireland.

Modernising Terms of Employment and Predictability at Work

A central pillar of the Bill is improving clarity and security from the outset of employment. Confirmed consultation outcomes indicate that Northern Ireland intends to:

• Extend the right to a written statement of employment particulars to workers as well as employees
• Require that statement to be provided from day one of engagement (removing the current two-month timeframe)
• Expand the content requirements to ensure greater transparency around pay, hours, leave and other core terms

The Bill also seeks to address insecure and one-sided flexibility. Proposed measures include:

• A right for zero-hours and low-hours workers to request a contract reflecting hours regularly worked over a reference period
• A requirement to provide reasonable notice of shifts
• Compensation where shifts are cancelled, curtailed or changed at short notice
• Restrictions on exclusivity clauses in zero-hours contracts

These reforms are designed to rebalance flexibility and provide greater income predictability. Organisations relying heavily on variable scheduling should begin reviewing workforce planning models and rostering systems.

In addition, the Executive has confirmed its intention to legislate in relation to “fire and rehire”. The proposal is to make dismissal for the purpose of imposing contractual change automatically unfair, except where the employer can demonstrate genuine financial distress threatening business viability. This represents a material tightening of the current position in Northern Ireland.

Making Pay Fairer and More Transparent

The Bill introduces important reforms aimed at improving fairness and clarity in pay practices. These include:

• A statutory requirement that workers receive tips and service charges in full, supported by a Code of Practice
• Strengthened payslip transparency, including clearer breakdown of pay components
• Reform of holiday pay calculations for workers with irregular hours

Gender pay gap reporting is also proposed for Northern Ireland. While thresholds are yet to be finalised, the framework is expected to broadly mirror Great Britain’s reporting model, potentially with additional requirements such as mandatory action plans. This will introduce a new compliance obligation for many Northern Ireland employers who have not previously been subject to statutory pay reporting.

The Bill also signals the introduction of a statutory Right to Disconnect Code of Practice, aimed at supporting healthier boundaries between working time and personal time in an increasingly digital working environment. While not expected to create a standalone legal claim, such a code would likely be taken into account in tribunal proceedings.
Strengthening Voice, Representation and Collective Engagement

Most notably, the threshold for statutory trade union recognition for an employer is proposed to reduce from 21 employees to 10 employees. This represents a significant lowering of the entry point for recognition claims and will make formal recognition more accessible in smaller workplaces.

Additional proposals include:

•    Expanded trade union access rights to workplaces, including digital access
•    Modernisation of industrial relations procedures
•    Reform of Information and Consultation arrangements
•    Strengthened protections for workers participating in industrial action

These measures indicate a clear policy direction towards strengthening collective voice in Northern Ireland. Employers without established engagement structures should consider strengthening internal consultation mechanisms to promote constructive dialogue.

Embedding Work–Life Balance as a Core Employment Standard

Work - life balance reforms are likely to be among the most visible changes for employees. Proposed measures include:

•    Making flexible working a day-one right
•    Allowing employees to make two flexible working requests within a 12-month period
•    Introducing a statutory right to one week of unpaid carers’ leave per year
•    Introducing a statutory right to neonatal leave and pay, for up to 12 weeks where a child requires neonatal care
•    Enhancing paternity leave flexibility, including the ability to take leave in separate blocks

Collectively, these measures reinforce the expectation that flexibility and family support are core employment standards rather than discretionary benefits.

Understanding the Timeline and Preparing Strategically

Although implementation is expected to be phased, the direction of travel is clear. Employers should view 2026 as a transition year - a period to understand the proposed reforms, assess organisational impact, and begin early planning rather than waiting for commencement dates to be confirmed. Practical steps could include:

• Reviewing contracts and written statements to ensure day-one compliance
• Assessing use of variable hours arrangements and rostering practices
• Auditing holiday pay calculations in anticipation of an extended reference period
• Strengthening employee engagement and consultation structures
• Preparing for the introduction of gender pay gap reporting regulations, including assessing data capture and reporting capability
• Updating family leave and flexible working policies
• Reviewing payroll processes in relation to tips, service charges, and payslip transparency
• Briefing senior leaders and managers on upcoming employment law changes

In Summary

The Good Jobs Employment Rights Bill represents a significant recalibration of employment standards in Northern Ireland. While comparisons can be drawn with reforms under the Employment Rights framework in Great Britain, Northern Ireland employers should focus on the specific obligations that will apply locally.

Collectively, the reforms signal a policy shift towards greater predictability of work, enhanced employee voice, stronger family-friendly rights, and increased transparency in pay and contractual terms.

For employers, the challenge will not simply be legal compliance, but operational readiness - ensuring contracts, systems, management capability, and workplace culture evolve in step with legislative change. Organisations that engage early and plan strategically will be best placed to navigate reform confidently while reinforcing trust and fairness across their workforce.

AAB
Telephone: +44 (0)28 9024 3131
aab.uk