Do You Know Your Entitlements?
Here at Kaizen Workforce Solutions we are all employees ourselves and we want to ensure that you too as an employee understand and are aware of your rights and what you’re entitled to under the law. Understanding your basic entitlements ensures that you’re treated fairly and protected in your workplace. This blog post will be your simple guide to the key rights and benefits you have as an everyday worker in Ireland.
Getting Paid Fairly:
In Ireland, there’s a minimum hourly wage that employers must pay you and you should always receive at least the minimum wage regardless of the job. As of January 2023, the minimum wage in Ireland is as follows;
Working Hours:
The law in Ireland also looks out for your working hours and rest breaks. Your regular workweek should be around 39 hours and the maximum number of hours that an employee should work in an average working week is 48 hours. This working week average should be calculated over a four-month period.
It’s important to have breaks during your workday too. You should get at least 15 minutes after four and a half hours of work and a 30-minute break after six hours. However, payment for breaks is not a statutory entitlement.
Time Off for Rest and Fun:
You deserve time off! Every year, you’re entitled to four weeks of paid leave based on your normal working hours. So, if you work part-time, your leave will be less, but it should be proportional to the hours you work. You also get time off on public holidays, which means you can relax or enjoy yourself without losing a day’s pay.
Feeling Under the Weather:
When you’re sick, you shouldn’t have to worry about your income. As of 1 January 2023, all employees in Ireland are entitled to paid sick leave. The entitlement to paid sick leave is being phased in as follows over a four year period;
- 2023 – 3 days covered
- 2024 – 5 days covered
- 2025 – 7 days covered
- 2026 – 10 days covered
Sick days can be taken as consecutive days or non-consecutive days and the sick pay year is the calendar year, so it runs from 1 January to 31 December. Also, your employer may offer you more generous sick pay arrangements under its own scheme. If so, your sick leave will be dealt with under that scheme.
If you are off work sick for more than 3 days, and you have enough PRSI contributions, you can apply to the Department of Social Protection (DSP) for a payment called Illness Illness Benefit. If you do not have enough PRSI contributions, you may contact the DSP’s representative at your local health centre. They will assess your situation.
Time for Family:
If you’re expecting a baby, there’s good news. Mothers can take 26 weeks of paid maternity leave, and they can also take an additional 16 weeks off unpaid. You can take this time off work from full-time, casual or part-time employment.Fathers or partners can enjoy two weeks of paid paternity leave to bond with their new child.
Being There for Your Kids:
Each new parent has the right to 7 weeks’ leave during the first 2 years of a child’s life, or in the case of adoption, within 2 years of the placement of the child with the family. This is known as parents leave. Your employer does not have to pay you while you are on parent’s leave. However, you may qualify for a payment called Parent’s Benefit if you have enough social insurance (PRSI) contributions.
As a parent, you are also entitled to take unpaid parental leave to care for your children. You can take up to 26 weeks of leave per child, and this can be used until your child turns twelve. However, you can take a maximum of 18 weeks in a single year.
For more detailed information about your rights as an employee in Ireland and the relevant application forms you may need, go to our website www.kaizenworkforcesolutions.com and click on HR Policies in our Academy section Here.
Kaizen Workforce Solutions
85-86 Grafton Street
Dublin 2
P |01 6729000
E |info@kaizenworkforcesolutions.com
W |kaizenworkforcesolutions.com
