All About Employee Leave & PTO in Ireland
Learn about leave requirements in Ireland and how Justworks EOR can help you streamline hiring in Ireland.
How an EOR Can Help with Employee Leave & PTO in Ireland
Different countries have different leave requirements and norms around vacation time. When hiring in Ireland, Justworks EOR can help you understand these differences with localized guidance so your leave policies align with federal requirements and prospective employees’ expectations. Save time, money, and effort by minimizing the risks of hiring in an unfamiliar talent market like Ireland. We’ll help you hire more quickly and manage HR tasks like running payroll, filing taxes, accessing benefits, staying on top of compliance, and more.
Employee Leave & PTO Expectations in Ireland
Employees in Ireland are entitled to annual paid leave including vacation days, maternity and paternity leave, sick leave, medical leave, and more.
Vacation Leave
In Ireland, vacation leave is determined by how many hours an employee works. Employees accrue a third of a week, or 8% of their total working hours, with a four-week maximum for every 117 hours worked. Put simply, employees who work five days a week for at least 1,365 hours get 20 days off. Any unused vacation time can be rolled over. Employers can also offer additional PTO beyond the statutory minimum.
Sick Leave
In Ireland, employees who have worked at least 13 consecutive weeks can take up to five days of paid sick leave, provided they submit medical proof to their employer. In 2025, this increases to seven days of sick leave and 10 days in 2026, per legislation passed in 2023. Employers pay employees 70% of their salary during this period.
Maternity & Paternity Leave
In Ireland, paid maternity leave lasts for 26 weeks. Employees receive maternity pay through social security. After 26 weeks, mothers can take an extra 16 weeks of unpaid leave. For paternity leave, new fathers get two weeks of paid paternity benefits through social security. Adopting parents are entitled to 24 weeks of adoptive leave, and can request to extend for another 16 weeks of unpaid leave.
Parental Leave
In Ireland, parental leave is unpaid and designed to help parents balance work and family responsibilities without losing their jobs. Parents can take 26 weeks (typically unpaid) of parental leave per eligible child until the child turns 12 (or 16 for children with disabilities) after one year of continuous employment. This leave can be taken all at once or in shorter blocks, with at least six weeks' notice to the employer.
Carer's Leave
Carer's Leave in Ireland allows eligible employees to take unpaid leave to care for a family member with a severe illness or disability. This leave can last up to 104 weeks, helping caregivers balance work and caregiving while retaining job protection.
Force Majeure Leave
Employees are entitled to a limited paid force majeure leave for family emergencies due to illness or injury. The leave is capped at three days for 12 months or five days for 36 months. Force majeure leave is not granted in case of the death of a close family member.
Public Holidays in Ireland
Ireland has 10 national holidays where employees are entitled to holiday pay and time off regardless of how long they’ve worked.
Public holidays in Ireland:
New Year's Day - January 1
St. Brigid’s Day - 1st Monday In February
St. Patrick's Day - March 17
Easter Monday - Monday following Easter
May Day - 1st Monday in May
June Holiday - 1st Monday of June
August Holiday - 1st Monday of August
October Holiday - Last Monday of October
Christmas Day - December 25
St. Stephen’s Day - December 26
Ready to Hire Confidently in Ireland?
Justworks EOR makes building your global team seamless by offering local expertise to help you understand the nuances of the talent market in Ireland. Save yourself the time and hassle of international hiring today.
