Irish employment law is primarily governed by the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997, the Payment of Wages Act 1991, and the Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2018. The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) adjudicates employment disputes and can conduct unannounced inspections. Employers must keep records of all working time for 3 years.
An employee may not work more than an average of 48 hours per week, calculated over a reference period of 4 months (or 6 months for certain industries). Night workers may not exceed 8 hours in a 24-hour period on average. Employers must keep records showing compliance with these limits or face fines.
How ClockIt Helps
ClockIt tracks rolling 4-month averages and night-shift exposure in real time, generating OWT Act–compliant timekeeping records and alerting managers before the weekly limit is breached.
Employees are entitled to 4 working weeks of paid annual leave per year (if they have worked at least 1,365 hours). Part-year or part-time workers earn leave at 8% of hours worked (capped at 4 weeks). Annual leave must be taken within the leave year or agreed carry-over period.
How ClockIt Helps
ClockIt calculates leave entitlement using both the fixed-week and 8%-of-hours methods, applying whichever gives the higher entitlement, and tracks carry-over balances against the statutory maximum.
Ireland has 10 established public holidays plus a new St. Brigid's Day holiday (first Monday of February, from 2023). Employees who work on a public holiday receive an additional day's pay, a paid day off within the month, or an extra day of annual leave. Part-time workers qualify if they would ordinarily work that day.
How ClockIt Helps
ClockIt's Irish holiday calendar automatically calculates the correct public holiday benefit (extra pay, day off, or additional leave) per employee and roster type, reducing payroll queries.
From 2024, employers must provide 5 days of paid statutory sick leave per year (increasing to 7 days in 2025 and 10 days in 2026). Sick pay is paid at 70% of normal daily wage, subject to a maximum of €110 per day. Employees must have 13 weeks of continuous service and a medical certificate.
How ClockIt Helps
ClockIt tracks statutory sick leave days against each year's entitlement, automatically applies the 70% pay rate, and flags when the maximum daily cap is reached in payroll processing.
Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) is mandatory for most employees. Employer PRSI (Class A) is 11.05% on all earnings above €441/week. The Universal Social Charge (USC) is a progressive tax on gross income. Both are collected through the PAYE (Employer) system via Revenue's Payroll Reporting system.
How ClockIt Helps
ClockIt prepares Revenue-compatible payroll reports with PRSI class codes and USC band breakdowns, reducing the risk of misclassification and Revenue compliance notices.
Employees with 2 or more years of continuous service are entitled to statutory redundancy: 2 weeks' pay per year of service plus one additional week's pay (bonus week). Weekly pay is capped at €600 per week (gross). Employers must provide RP50 forms and the Redundancy Notice at least 2 weeks in advance.
How ClockIt Helps
ClockIt calculates statutory redundancy entitlement based on exact tenure records, ensuring accuracy when processing departures and generating the supporting documentation required by the Department of Social Protection.
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