Should Northern Ireland provide two weeks' paid miscarriage leave?

Northern Ireland introduces a statutory right to two weeks' paid leave for the person who experienced a miscarriage at any stage of pregnancy and their partner, effective from 6 April 2026. This makes it the first UK region to extend bereavement protections to early pregnancy loss, beyond the 24-week stillbirth threshold in Great Britain. Leave can be taken as one block or two one-week periods within 56 weeks, paid at statutory maternity pay rates with employer reimbursement, requiring only self-declaration.