In Ireland, persons continually employed for at least 13 weeks must give their employer 1 week's notice to terminate employment. Employment contracts may specify a longer notice period.
Employers must give continuously serving employees a notice between 1 and 8 weeks, depending on the duration of their service.
If the employee is not required to work for any part of their notice, the employer must pay them for that period. No notice is required if either party terminates an employment contract due to misconduct. Employees and employers can also agree to waive their right to notice.
In Ireland, foreign nationals who wish to work must comply with the country’s visa and employment permit requirements, unless exempt.
Exemptions apply to:
Under the Employment Permits (Amendment) Act of 2024, there are the following types of employment permits:
For short-term employment lasting less than 90 days, employees must apply for the Atypical Working Scheme.
In Ireland, all employees, whether full-time, part-time, temporary, or casual, earn annual leave entitlements from when they start work. Most employees are entitled to four weeks of paid annual leave per year, although they may be entitled to less depending on time worked.
The employer determines the timing of an employee’s annual leave, considering work and personnel requirements, and should consult the employee or the relevant union in advance. Annual leave pay must be paid in advance at the employee’s normal weekly rate.
Annual leave should normally be taken within the leave year or, with consent, within 6 months after it. In case of long-term sickness, annual leave can be postponed for up to 15 months after the end of the year it was earned. Employers may, by agreement, allow carryover of extra (non-statutory) leave.
Employees continue to earn annual leave while on certified sick leave. If illness prevents them from taking it, the unused leave can be carried forward for up to 15 months after the leave year ends.
The maximum average number of hours an employee can work per week is 48. The workweek average is typically determined over a 4-month period. Exceptions exist for seasonal workers, work that involves predictable surge activity, and employees under collective agreements. Further, employees are entitled to a rest period of up to 11 consecutive hours for every 24 hours of work.
For night workers generally, the maximum night working time is 48 hours per week, averaged over a 2-month period or a longer period specified in a collective agreement which must be approved by the Labour Court.
All employees have the "Right to Disconnect" from work. The Right to Disconnect gives employees the right to switch off from work outside of normal working hours, including the right not to respond immediately to emails, telephone calls, or other messages.
Parents or carers have the right to request a flexible working arrangement, provided they have 6 months of continuous service before the arrangement can start. Flexible working is an arrangement where the employee's normal working hours or pattern is adjusted, including through remote working, flexible schedules, or reduced hours.
In Ireland, employees are entitled to maternity benefits. The government pays maternity benefits for 26 weeks (156 days). At least 2 weeks and not more than 16 weeks of leave must be taken before the end of the week in which the baby is due. Employees have the right to an additional 16 weeks of unpaid maternity leave immediately after the end of the 26 weeks’ paid leave. These rights apply to birth mothers.
Employees may delay maternity leave for 5 to 52 weeks if they are suffering from a serious illness. The request must be in writing, be at least 2 weeks before the delay is set to begin, and include the start and end dates, and a medical certificate provided by a specialist doctor. The end date must be at least 5 weeks from the start of the postponement.
Adoptive parents, whether adopting alone or as a couple (with only 1 parent qualifying), are entitled to 24 weeks of adoptive leave starting from the date the child is placed in their care, plus up to 16 additional weeks of unpaid leave.
The Irish Maternity Benefit is EUR 299 (Euros) per week.
Employers are not statutorily obligated to pay women who are on maternity leave. However, some employers may increase the amount employees get from Maternity Benefit to match the employee’s normal pay. Employees must have at least 39 weeks of PRSI contributions paid in the 12-month period before the first day of their maternity leave to be eligible for benefits. If employees have dependents, their maternity benefit is compared to the rate of illness benefit they would have received for absence due to illness, and they are paid the lower amount.
The minimum wage rates for 2026 are as follows:
If the employee receives board or lodgings (i.e., food or accommodations from the employer), those amounts are included in the minimum wage calculation:
There are no statutory guidelines on payroll frequency in Ireland. Individual or collective agreements determine it. Employees who consistently get paid late can make a formal complaint or even resign and claim constructive dismissal.
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