A 'working week' is the days you normally work: 3 days a week means a 3-day holiday week. Your employer can give more, but not less.
Quick facts
- Full entitlement
- 4 working weeks
- Part-time
- 8% of hours worked
- Holiday pay
- In advance, normal rate
- 2 weeks in a row
- After 8 months' work
- Leaving a job
- Unused leave paid
- Sick on holiday
- Certified days don't count
How much you get
"Most employees are entitled to 4 working weeks' of annual leave each year." Use whichever method gives you most:
- "If you have worked at least 1,365 hours in a leave year (explained above), you are entitled to the maximum of 4 working weeks' paid annual leave."
- "Calculate 1/3 of a working week for each calendar month in which you worked at least 117 hours."
- "Calculate 8% of the hours you worked in the leave year, subject to a maximum of 4 working weeks." This suits part-timers.
Holiday pay and timing
"Holiday pay (pay for annual leave) must be paid in advance at your normal weekly rate ." "If you have worked for at least 8 months, you are entitled to an unbroken period of 2 weeks' annual leave." Your employer decides when, after consulting you at least a month ahead.
"If you are leaving a job without taking all the annual leave you are entitled to, your employer must pay you for the days you have not taken."
Illness and other leave
Get a cert if you're sick on holiday. "Your employer cannot make you to take annual leave for time you were on certified sick leave." "If you are on long-term sick leave and cannot take your annual leave due to illness, you can carry it over for up to 15 months after the end of the year it was earned."
Leave keeps building up during maternity, paternity, parental and certified sick leave. "You must make your complaint within 6 months of the dispute (disagreement) happening."
Common questions
How many days annual leave do you get in Ireland?
4 working weeks a year for most employees. For a 5-day week, that's 20 days.
How is annual leave worked out for part-time workers?
Usually 8% of the hours you work in the leave year, up to 4 working weeks.
Do I get paid for unused holidays when I leave a job?
Yes. Your employer must pay you for annual leave you haven't taken.
What if I'm sick on holiday?
Get a medical cert: certified sick days don't count as annual leave, and you can take them later.