What are the employment rules and regulations to work in Ireland?

An employees working in Ireland have certain basic employment rights, which are set by the Irish employment legislature.

 

In recent years, Ireland has introduced new laws on minimum wage rates, working time regulations, and parental leave, making it an attractive place for talented employees to work and, consequently, a great place to run a business.

 

Irish Employment Law protects workers’ rights by ensuring employers provide fair pay, safe, healthy working environments, and freedom from discrimination or harassment. Workers may be entitled to compensation for workplace injuries and legal protection against unfair dismissal and other forms of discrimination.

 

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Employment rules and regulations to work in Ireland

Specific rules must be abided by the employee to work in Ireland:

 

Contract and terms of employment

The full-time employee will automatically receive the employment contract that will explain the job role. The whole-time contract will demonstrate the written statement of the core terms of employment within the first five days of starting a job. The employee must receive a statement of the remaining terms within one month of starting the work.

 

Working Week

The average working week in Ireland is set at a maximum of 48 hours. Most workers have the calculator over four months, although for night workers, it is just over two months. For employees in seasonable jobs with surges in activity, it is calculated over six months.

 

Breaks and rest periods

Employment laws also set out minimum rest periods. Ireland allows at least 11 consecutive hours away from work every 24 hours to ensure workers' mental health. Workers must also receive 24 hours off each week and 11 daily hours of rest.

 

During the workday, they are also entitled to a 15-minute break for every four and a half hours they work. If they work more than six hours, they are entitled to a 30-minute break including the first fifteen minute break.

 

Rates of pay

Most workers are entitled to a minimum wage of €12.70 per hour. Employees must receive payslips, which show their wages and any deductions.

 

Leave

Nearly all employees are entitled to annual leave and public holidays from the time they start working. Most employees are entitled to 4 weeks of paid annual leave for each leave year. Part-time workers mostly receive 8% of the hours if they work up to a maximum of 4 working weeks for each leave year.

 

The types of leaves that are allowed for the employees:

 

• Maternity leave
• Paternity leave
• Health and safety leave
• Parental leave
• Parent's leave
• Adoptive leave
• Carer's leave
• Sick leave
• Leave for medical care
• Force majeure leave
• Domestic violence leave

 

Termination of Employment

Employment law in Ireland states that the employer must be provided with a notice period before termination. The longer the employee has worked somewhere, the longer the notice period should be.

 

Here is the breakdown of the notice period:

Length of Service	Notice Period
13 weeks – less than two years	One week
Two years – less than five years	Two weeks
Five years – less than 10 years	Four weeks
10 years – less than 15 years	Six weeks
More than 15 years	Eight Weeks

 

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Types of employment in Ireland

The Ireland labor law covers all private-sector employees, dependant workers, foreign nationals, and government employees. The employment law in Ireland has different types of employment in the country:

 

• Children or young person’s employment
• Fixed-term contract employees
• Part-time employees
• Self-employed contractors
• Agency Workers

 

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