Employee Rights in Ireland
As an employee in Ireland, you are entitled to receive certain basic employment rights.
A written statement of terms and conditions of employment.
Whilst the full contract does not have to be in writing, certain terms and conditions of your employment must be stated in writing within two months of starting employment. These would typically include the method of calculating pay and whether or not there is a sick pay scheme in operation. (For fixed term employees it would also include in what circumstances your employment will come to an end.) For further information, see Contracts of employment
A written statement of pay or ‘payslip’
The Payment of Wages Act 1991 gives all employees in Ireland a right to a pay slip which will show the gross wage and details of all deductions. A pay slip is essentially a statement in writing from the employer to the employee that outlines the total pay before tax and all details of any deductions from pay. For more detail, see Pay slips in Ireland
A minimum wage
Generally, the amount of pay you receive for working in Ireland is a matter for agreement between you and your employer. These negotiations normally occur when you receive an offer of a job. However under the National Minimum Wage Act 2000 most employees are entitled to a minimum wage. There are sub-minimum rates for some people such as those aged under 18. See Minimum rates of pay in Ireland for more information.
A maximum working week average of 48 hours a week
The maximum 48 hour week is based on an average calculated over a four, six, or twelve-month period depending on the industry. Your employer must keep a record of how many hours you work. For further information, see The Working Week
Unpaid breaks during working hours
All workers are entitled to have breaks while they are at work and rest periods between working days or nights. The Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 sets out the statutory minimum entitlement for employees as regards working hours, annual leave, night work, breaks and rest periods for employees. See Rest periods and breaks
Leave from work
Employment law in Ireland gives employees various entitlements to leave from work ranging from annual leave, sick leave, public holidays, parental leave, carer’s leave etc. For further information, see Leave and holidays
A minimum amount of notice before dismissal
You may be entitled to notice if you are being let go from your job in Ireland. This means that you are given notice that your job will end, and a date in the near future when this will come into effect. The length of notice you are entitled to, will depend in the first place on your contract of employment. In addition, there is a minimum entitlement laid down by law. Further details at Unemployment and redundancy
Enforcing your rights
People working in Ireland have certain rights under employment law such as a minimum wage and annual leave. If you are not getting your rights or entitlements or if you lose your job and consider that your dismissal was unfair, there are organisations which can assist you to enforce your rights. They include
The Citizens Information website contains detailed information on each of the above and provides links for further information. Pwww.citizensinformation.ie- Enforcing your employment rights
Page checked: March 2023
This webpage is for general information purposes only and while we endeavour to keep it up-to-date, errors may occur. It is very important that you check with the relevant body to ensure the information is current and is applicable to your situation.
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