Navigating employee leave entitlements is a crucial aspect of managing a workforce in Ireland. Irish employment law provides clear guidelines on various types of leave, ensuring employees receive adequate time off for rest, illness, family responsibilities, and other significant life events. Understanding these statutory requirements is essential for employers to maintain compliance and foster a positive working environment.
Employers operating in Ireland must adhere to the minimum standards set out in legislation regarding annual leave, public holidays, sick leave, and various forms of parental leave. While contractual terms can offer more generous provisions, they cannot provide less than the statutory minimums. Staying informed about these entitlements is key to effective workforce management and compliance.
Annual Vacation Leave
Employees in Ireland are entitled to paid annual leave. The minimum entitlement is calculated based on the amount of time worked in a leave year (typically April 1st to March 31st).
The most common methods for calculating annual leave entitlement are:
- 4 working weeks in a leave year for employees who work at least 1,365 hours in the leave year (unless it is a leave year in which they change employment).
- 1/3 of a working week for each calendar month in which the employee works at least 117 hours.
- 8% of the hours worked in the leave year, subject to a maximum of 4 working weeks.
Employers can use whichever method is most favourable to the employee. Leave should be taken within the leave year or, with agreement, within 6 months of the end of the leave year. Employers are responsible for ensuring employees take their full leave entitlement.
Public Holidays
Ireland observes a number of public holidays throughout the year. For each public holiday, qualifying employees are entitled to one of the following:
- A paid day off on the public holiday.
- An additional day of annual leave.
- An additional day's pay.
- A paid day off within a month of the public holiday.
The specific entitlement often depends on whether the employee was scheduled to work on the public holiday.
Here are the standard public holidays observed in Ireland in 2025:
| Date | Holiday |
|---|---|
| January 1st | New Year's Day |
| March 17th | St. Patrick's Day |
| April 21st | Easter Monday |
| May 5th | May Bank Holiday |
| June 2nd | June Bank Holiday |
| August 4th | August Bank Holiday |
| October 27th | October Bank Holiday |
| December 25th | Christmas Day |
| December 26th | St. Stephen's Day |
Note: An additional public holiday was introduced in 2022 on the first Monday in February (or February 1st if it falls on a Friday) and is now a permanent public holiday.
Sick Leave
Ireland introduced a statutory sick pay (SSP) scheme, phased in over several years. From 2025, employees are entitled to a minimum number of paid sick days per year.
To be eligible for SSP, an employee must:
- Have worked for the employer for at least 13 weeks.
- Provide a medical certificate from a registered medical practitioner.
The SSP is paid by the employer at a rate of 70% of the employee's normal daily earnings, subject to a maximum daily threshold.
Here is the phased introduction of statutory sick pay:
| Year | Minimum Paid Sick Days per Year | Payment Rate | Maximum Daily Payment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 3 | 70% | €110 |
| 2024 | 5 | 70% | €110 |
| 2025 | 7 | 70% | €110 |
| 2026 | 10 | 70% | €110 |
The SSP is intended to provide a basic level of financial support during short-term illness. Any sick leave beyond the statutory entitlement is unpaid unless the employment contract provides for more generous company sick pay.
Parental Leave
Irish law provides for various types of leave related to parenting and family care.
Maternity Leave
Pregnant employees are entitled to 26 weeks of ordinary maternity leave. An additional 16 weeks of unpaid additional maternity leave can also be taken immediately after ordinary maternity leave.
- Ordinary Maternity Leave: 26 weeks (minimum 2 weeks before the expected week of confinement, maximum 16 weeks after).
- Additional Maternity Leave: 16 weeks (unpaid).
Social welfare maternity benefit may be payable by the Department of Social Protection during ordinary maternity leave, provided the employee has sufficient PRSI contributions.
Paternity Leave
Fathers and partners (including same-sex partners) are entitled to 2 weeks of paternity leave within the first 6 months after the birth or adoption of a child.
- Paternity Leave: 2 weeks (can be taken as a single block or two separate weeks).
Social welfare paternity benefit may be payable during paternity leave, subject to PRSI contributions.
Adoptive Leave
One parent in a couple, or a sole adopter, is entitled to adoptive leave when adopting a child.
- Ordinary Adoptive Leave: 24 weeks (can start up to 14 days before the child is placed).
- Additional Adoptive Leave: 16 weeks (unpaid, taken immediately after ordinary leave).
Social welfare adoptive benefit may be payable during ordinary adoptive leave, subject to PRSI contributions.
Parental Leave
Separately from maternity, paternity, or adoptive leave, both parents are entitled to parental leave to care for a child. This leave is generally unpaid.
- Parental Leave: 26 weeks per parent per child (up to the child's 12th birthday, or 16th birthday if the child has a disability or long-term illness).
This leave can be taken in blocks of not less than 6 weeks, or in shorter periods if agreed with the employer.
Other Types of Leave
Irish law also provides for other specific types of leave:
- Force Majeure Leave: Short-term paid leave for urgent family reasons due to the injury or illness of a close family member, where the immediate presence of the employee is indispensable. Limited to 3 days in 12 consecutive months or 5 days in 36 consecutive months.
- Bereavement Leave: While there is no statutory entitlement to paid bereavement leave, most employers provide a period of paid leave following the death of a close family member as a matter of company policy or custom and practice.
- Carer's Leave: Unpaid leave to provide full-time care for a person who needs full-time care and attention. Entitlement is up to 104 weeks.
- Jury Duty: Employees summoned for jury service are entitled to time off. Employers are not legally required to pay employees during jury service, though some may do so. Jurors receive a daily allowance from the state.
- Study Leave / Sabbatical: There is no statutory entitlement to study leave or sabbatical leave. These types of leave are typically granted at the employer's discretion and are subject to the terms of the employment contract or company policy.
