Employment rights in Ireland - pay, contracts, leave and complaints

Since 1 January 2026, the national minimum wage is €14.15 an hour for workers aged 20 and over. Lower rates apply to younger workers: €12.74 at 19, €11.32 at 18 and €9.91 under 18.

Your employer must give you, in writing, within 5 days of starting, the core terms of your employment, including the names of employer and employee, the employer's address, the expected length of a temporary or fixed-term contract, your rate of pay and how it is calculated, and your normal daily and weekly working hours. The employer's policy on tips and service charges is also part of these core terms.

Within one month of starting, you must receive a fuller written statement of terms of employment. You can complain to the WRC if you do not receive these statements.

The maximum is 48 hours a week on average; individual weeks can be longer, but the average over the reference period must not exceed 48. Different rules apply to workers under 18. Annual leave, sick leave and other statutory leave do not count towards the 48 hours.

• Most employees are entitled to 4 working weeks of paid annual leave a year. A "working week" is the number of days you normally work: if you work 3 days a week, your annual leave week is 3 days. Part-time, temporary and casual workers are included.
• You keep building up annual leave while on certified sick leave, maternity, paternity, adoptive and parental leave and some other leave.
• There are 10 public holidays a year. If you qualify for public holiday benefit, you are entitled to one of the following: a paid day off on the day, an additional day of annual leave, an additional day's pay, or a paid day off within a month. You can ask your employer, at least 21 days before, which option will apply. Part-time employees qualify if they have worked at least 40 hours in the 5 weeks before the holiday.

Since 1 January 2024, employees have a right to 5 days of statutory sick pay a year, paid by the employer at 70% of normal pay up to €110 a day, once you have worked for the employer for at least 13 weeks. There are no waiting days. If you are sick for longer and have enough PRSI contributions, you may be able to claim Illness Benefit from the Department of Social Protection.

In hospitality, tourism, hairdressing, taxis, delivery and similar services, the Payment of Wages (Amendment) (Tips and Gratuities) Act 2022 applies. Employers cannot use tips to make up your contractual pay. Electronic tips (by card or app) must be distributed fairly to staff, and any charge described as a "service charge" must be passed on as if it were an electronic tip. The employer must display its tips policy.

If you think your employer has broken employment law, try raising it internally first. You can then refer a complaint to the WRC. In general, you must make the complaint within 6 months of the alleged breach; this can be extended by a further 6 months if there was reasonable cause for the delay. Some complaints require a minimum period of service. The WRC's information line is +353 59 917 8990.