Holidays Employees who meet the qualifying criteria in relation to time worked are allowed twenty paid working days leave for a period of 12 months work. In respect of public holidays, an employee must be given either a paid day off on that day, a paid day off within a month of the day, an extra day's annual leave, or an extra day's pay, all of which are at the option of the employer. The contract should set out the procedures in relation to absence due to illness. Employers are not obliged to pay employees during such absence. However, because of PRSI, employees are entitled to certain Social Welfare benefits.
Many employers continue to pay employees during short absences grounded on illness.
It is usual to provide a medical certificate from a doctor for absences of more than two days, and to require the employee in respect of absences of more than two days to apply for the appropriate Social Welfare benefit, and to pay that benefit to the employer who will continue to pay the employee in full during the absence. Breaks the employee to be allowed 15 minutes before 4.5 hours have been worked. Alternatively, over a total of fourteen days an employee should be provided with 48 consecutive hours, again following on the 11 hours of daily rest, giving a total of 59 hours. There is a further provision that the day of weekly rest shall, unless provided otherwise in the employee's contract, be on a Sunday. Sunday work - If required to work on a Sunday, there are provisions requiring particular compensation to employees.