[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"page:en-ie\u002Fwork-in-ireland\u002Flabour-law\u002Fsick-leave":3},{"id":4,"slug":5,"title":6,"short_title":7,"intro_text":8,"meta_description":8,"seo_title":8,"path":9,"content_type":10,"locale":11,"go_live_at":7,"first_published_at":12,"page_created_at":13,"published_at":12,"edit_url":14,"breadcrumbs":15,"seo":26,"rendered":35,"description":36,"body":37,"body_blocks":38,"call_to_action":39,"owner":46,"authors":54,"show_related_pages":56,"related_pages":57,"related_sites":134,"in_subsite":56,"contact_page_url":7,"banner_message":135},681,"sick-leave","Sick Leave",null,"","\u002Fen-ie\u002Fwork-in-ireland\u002Flabour-law\u002Fsick-leave","labourlaw.labourlawpage","en_IE","2025-07-27T09:56:49.865419+00:00","2026-04-08T18:09:27.479384+00:00","\u002Fcms\u002Fpages\u002F681\u002Fedit\u002F",[16,19,22,25],{"title":17,"slug":18},"Ireland","en-ie",{"title":20,"slug":21},"Work in Ireland","work-in-ireland",{"title":23,"slug":24},"Labour Law","labour-law",{"title":6,"slug":5},{"title":27,"description":8,"image":28,"canonical":29,"robots":30,"og_type":31,"twitter_card":32,"locale":18,"created_at":33,"last_modified_at":34},"Sick Leave, Sick Pay, Job Security - Ireland","https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002FSocial_media_preview_image_-_2025.2e16d0ba.fill-1200x630.png","https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fen-ie\u002Fwork-in-ireland\u002Flabour-law\u002Fsick-leave\u002F","index, follow","website","summary_large_image","2025-07-27T11:56:49.865419+02:00","2026-04-08T20:09:27.622061+02:00","\u003Cdiv class=\"cobra-ll-view\">\n\n  \n\n    \n    \n  \n  \u003Ch1>Sick Leave\u003C\u002Fh1>\n  \u003Cspan class=\"lastupdated\">This page was last updated on:\n      2026-04-17\u003C\u002Fspan>\n\n  \n\n    \n  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n  \n    \n      \n        \n          \n    \n    \n    \n        \u003Cdiv class=\"teaserItem\">\n          \u003Ch2>Income\u003C\u002Fh2>\n          \u003Cp>The Sick Leave Act of 2022 was recently signed into law. An employee will initially be entitled to three statutory sick leave days per year, although the Act states that the number of leave days can be extended by a ministerial decree. It was reported that the leave days shall be extended to five days in 2024, seven days in 2025, and ten days in 2026. Employers will have to pay a statutory sick leave payment for each statutory sick leave day. The Minister for Enterprise, Trade, and Employment will set the daily rate of the mandatory sick leave payment in regulations. The regulations may stipulate the percentage rate of an employee's salary, up to a daily limit, at which statutory sick leave is granted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earlier Information\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An employee has no legal entitlement to sick pay; it is at the discretion of the employer. If an employee is sick during the period of annual leave and can prove to employer through a medical certificate that he or she was sick or injured, then the leave taken during this period will not count as annual leave. Since there is no provision in law on sick leave and sick pay, it is at the discretion of employer to devise his own policy on the matter. Employer is required to provide information to the worker on the terms and conditions relating to incapacity for work due to sickness or injury. If a worker has no entitlement to sick leave and is sick in his\u002Fher employment particulars, he\u002Fshe may apply for illness benefit if he\u002Fshe has required social insurance contributions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If a worker is getting sick pay from the employer, he is required to sign over any illness benefit to the employer as long as he is getting sick pay from work. The worker has to apply for illness benefit within 7 days of becoming ill. No payment is made for the first 6 days of illness (from 06 January 2014). The sickness\u002Fillness benefit is paid for a maximum of 02 years (624 payment days) when a worker has 260 weeks of PRSI contributions paid. If a worker has between 104 and 259 weeks of PRSI contributions paid, he\u002Fshe can claim the benefit for up to 52 weeks (312 payment days). \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Source: www.welfare.ie\u002Fen\u002FPages\u002F345_Illness-Benefit.aspx; §5-7 of the Sick Leave Act, 2022\u003C\u002Fp>\n        \u003C\u002Fdiv>\n    \n\n\n        \n      \n        \n          \n    \n    \n    \n        \u003Cdiv class=\"teaserItem\">\n          \u003Ch2>Medical Care\u003C\u002Fh2>\n          \u003Cp>In Ireland, any person, regardless of nationality, who is accepted by the Health Service Executive (HSE) as being ordinarily resident in Ireland is entitled to either full eligibility (Category 1, i.e. medical card holders) or limited eligibility (Category 2) for health services. Category 1 consists of people who, in the opinion of the HSE, are unable to afford general practitioner services for themselves and their dependents. The medical services available category 01 include general practitioner services, specialist services in out-patient clinics, certain dental, ophthalmic and aural services and appliances, prescribed drugs, medicines and medical and surgical appliances, maternity care and infant welfare services, maternity cash grant for each newborn child and attendance. The medical services available to Category 02 include all in-patient hospital services in public wards, specialist services in outpatient clinics, maternity care and infant welfare services, including the services of a family doctor during pregnancy and family doctor services for mother and infant up to six weeks after the birth, a refund of expenditure on drugs and medicines above a specified limit, drugs and medicines for the treatment of certain specified illnesses under the Long-Term Illness Scheme. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Source: ISSA COuntry profile for Irelandhttp:\u002F\u002Fec.europa.eu\u002Femployment_social\u002Fempl_portal\u002FSSRinEU\u002FYour%20 social%20security%20rights%20in%20Ireland_en.pdf;http:\u002F\u002Fwww.citizensinformation.ie\u002Fen\u002Fsocial_welfare\u002Fsocial_welfare_payments\u002Fdisability_and_illness\u002Fmedical_care_scheme.html\u003C\u002Fp>\n        \u003C\u002Fdiv>\n    \n\n\n        \n      \n        \n          \n    \n    \n    \n        \u003Cdiv class=\"teaserItem\">\n          \u003Ch2>Job Security\u003C\u002Fh2>\n          \u003Cp>There is no legislation governing sick leave in Ireland. No job security provisions are found in the Unfair Dismissals Act. Any terms or conditions relating to incapacity for work due to illness or injury are required to be included in the employment contract. The employment contract shall also place a limit on sick leave or sick pay (one month in a 12-month period). Clear rules governing sick leave and sick pay have to be incorporated in the employment contract. An employee who is ill is entitled not to attend work; however, they may be required by their employer to provide a medical certificate verifying the same. Long absences from work due to sickness may be a ground for dismissal. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Source: www.citizensinformation.ie\u002Fen\u002Femployment\u002Femployment_rights_and_conditions\u002Fleave_and_holidays\u002Fsick_leave.html \u003C\u002Fp>\n        \u003C\u002Fdiv>\n    \n\n\n        \n      \n    \n\n    \n      \n    \n      \u003Cdiv class=\"regulations\">\n        \u003Ch2>Regulations on Sick Leave\u003C\u002Fh2>\n        \u003Cul>\n          \u003Cli>\n            Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Applications) Regulations 2007\n          \u003C\u002Fli>\n        \u003C\u002Ful>\n      \u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n    \n\n    \n        \n    \n    \u003Cdiv class=\"related\">\n      \u003Ch2>Related Items\u003C\u002Fh2>\n      \n          _ll_workinjury_URL_\n      \n          _ll_leave_URL_\n      \n          _ll_employmentsecurity_URL_\n      \n          _ll_family_URL_\n      \n          _ll_maternity_URL_\n      \n          _ll_healthsafety_URL_\n      \n    \u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n    \n\n  \n\n    \n    \n\n  \n\n  \n  \n\n  \n    \u003Cstyle>\n\n      h1, h2, h3 {\n      font-weight: bold;\n      margin-top: 20px;\n      margin-bottom: 10px;\n      }\n      \n      .related a {\n        display:block;\n        border: 1px solid transparent;\n      }\n\n      ul ol, ol ol, ol ul {\n      font-size: 100%;\n      }\n\n    \u003C\u002Fstyle>\n\n  \n\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>","Your rights on sick leave and\u002For pay in Ireland – .","\u003Cdiv>\n\n\u003Cspan>This page was last updated on:\n      2026-04-17\u003C\u002Fspan>\n\u003Cdiv>\n\u003Ch2>Income\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>The Sick Leave Act of 2022 was recently signed into law. An employee will initially be entitled to three statutory sick leave days per year, although the Act states that the number of leave days can be extended by a ministerial decree. It was reported that the leave days shall be extended to five days in 2024, seven days in 2025, and ten days in 2026. Employers will have to pay a statutory sick leave payment for each statutory sick leave day. The Minister for Enterprise, Trade, and Employment will set the daily rate of the mandatory sick leave payment in regulations. The regulations may stipulate the percentage rate of an employee's salary, up to a daily limit, at which statutory sick leave is granted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earlier Information\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An employee has no legal entitlement to sick pay; it is at the discretion of the employer. If an employee is sick during the period of annual leave and can prove to employer through a medical certificate that he or she was sick or injured, then the leave taken during this period will not count as annual leave. Since there is no provision in law on sick leave and sick pay, it is at the discretion of employer to devise his own policy on the matter. Employer is required to provide information to the worker on the terms and conditions relating to incapacity for work due to sickness or injury. If a worker has no entitlement to sick leave and is sick in his\u002Fher employment particulars, he\u002Fshe may apply for illness benefit if he\u002Fshe has required social insurance contributions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If a worker is getting sick pay from the employer, he is required to sign over any illness benefit to the employer as long as he is getting sick pay from work. The worker has to apply for illness benefit within 7 days of becoming ill. No payment is made for the first 6 days of illness (from 06 January 2014). The sickness\u002Fillness benefit is paid for a maximum of 02 years (624 payment days) when a worker has 260 weeks of PRSI contributions paid. If a worker has between 104 and 259 weeks of PRSI contributions paid, he\u002Fshe can claim the benefit for up to 52 weeks (312 payment days). \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Source: www.welfare.ie\u002Fen\u002FPages\u002F345_Illness-Benefit.aspx; §5-7 of the Sick Leave Act, 2022\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\u003Cdiv>\n\u003Ch2>Medical Care\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>In Ireland, any person, regardless of nationality, who is accepted by the Health Service Executive (HSE) as being ordinarily resident in Ireland is entitled to either full eligibility (Category 1, i.e. medical card holders) or limited eligibility (Category 2) for health services. Category 1 consists of people who, in the opinion of the HSE, are unable to afford general practitioner services for themselves and their dependents. The medical services available category 01 include general practitioner services, specialist services in out-patient clinics, certain dental, ophthalmic and aural services and appliances, prescribed drugs, medicines and medical and surgical appliances, maternity care and infant welfare services, maternity cash grant for each newborn child and attendance. The medical services available to Category 02 include all in-patient hospital services in public wards, specialist services in outpatient clinics, maternity care and infant welfare services, including the services of a family doctor during pregnancy and family doctor services for mother and infant up to six weeks after the birth, a refund of expenditure on drugs and medicines above a specified limit, drugs and medicines for the treatment of certain specified illnesses under the Long-Term Illness Scheme. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Source: ISSA COuntry profile for Irelandhttp:\u002F\u002Fec.europa.eu\u002Femployment_social\u002Fempl_portal\u002FSSRinEU\u002FYour%20 social%20security%20rights%20in%20Ireland_en.pdf;http:\u002F\u002Fwww.citizensinformation.ie\u002Fen\u002Fsocial_welfare\u002Fsocial_welfare_payments\u002Fdisability_and_illness\u002Fmedical_care_scheme.html\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\u003Cdiv>\n\u003Ch2>Job Security\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>There is no legislation governing sick leave in Ireland. No job security provisions are found in the Unfair Dismissals Act. Any terms or conditions relating to incapacity for work due to illness or injury are required to be included in the employment contract. The employment contract shall also place a limit on sick leave or sick pay (one month in a 12-month period). Clear rules governing sick leave and sick pay have to be incorporated in the employment contract. An employee who is ill is entitled not to attend work; however, they may be required by their employer to provide a medical certificate verifying the same. Long absences from work due to sickness may be a ground for dismissal. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Source: www.citizensinformation.ie\u002Fen\u002Femployment\u002Femployment_rights_and_conditions\u002Fleave_and_holidays\u002Fsick_leave.html \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\u003Cdiv>\n\u003Ch2>Regulations on Sick Leave\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>\n            Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Applications) Regulations 2007\n          \u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\u003Cdiv>\n\u003Ch2>Related Items\u003C\u002Fh2>\n      \n          \u003Ca href='\u002Fen-ie\u002Fwork-in-ireland\u002Flabour-law\u002Fsick-leave\u002Fwork-injury-benefits'>Work Injury Benefits\u003C\u002Fa>\n      \n          \u003Ca href='\u002Fen-ie\u002Fwork-in-ireland\u002Flabour-law\u002Fannual-leave-and-holidays'>Annual Leave and Holidays\u003C\u002Fa>\n      \n          \u003Ca href='\u002Fen-ie\u002Fwork-in-ireland\u002Flabour-law\u002Fcontracts-and-dismissals'>Contracts and Dismissals\u003C\u002Fa>\n      \n          \u003Ca href='\u002Fen-ie\u002Fwork-in-ireland\u002Flabour-law\u002Ffamily-responsibilities'>Family Responsibilities\u003C\u002Fa>\n      \n          \u003Ca href='\u002Fen-ie\u002Fwork-in-ireland\u002Flabour-law\u002Fmaternity-and-work'>Maternity and Work\u003C\u002Fa>\n      \n          \u003Ca href='\u002Fen-ie\u002Fwork-in-ireland\u002Flabour-law\u002Fhealth-and-safety'>Health and Safety\u003C\u002Fa>\n      \n    \u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\u003Cstyle>\n\n      h1, h2, h3 {\n      font-weight: bold;\n      margin-top: 20px;\n      margin-bottom: 10px;\n      }\n      \n      .related a {\n        display:block;\n        border: 1px solid transparent;\n      }\n\n      ul ol, ol ol, ol ul {\n      font-size: 100%;\n      }\n\n    \u003C\u002Fstyle>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>",[],{"text":40,"link":41},"Contact Us",{"title":40,"url":42,"description":40,"rel":43,"type":44,"id":45},"\u002Fabout\u002Fcontact","follow","internal",24590,{"id":47,"first_name":48,"last_name":49,"email":50,"image":51,"function":52,"external":53},2,"Gunjan","Pandya","gunjanpandya@wageindicator.org","https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002FGunjan-Pandya-ED_PhPZSyI.width-400.jpg","IT Specialist and Global Webmaster",false,[55],{"id":47,"first_name":48,"last_name":49,"email":50,"image":51,"function":52,"external":53},true,[58,62,66,70,74,78,82,86,90,94,98,102,106,110,114,118,122,126,130],{"id":59,"short_title":7,"title":60,"url":61},682,"Work Injury Benefits","\u002Fen-ie\u002Fwork-in-ireland\u002Flabour-law\u002Fsick-leave\u002Fwork-injury-benefits",{"id":63,"short_title":7,"title":64,"url":65},671,"Work and Wages","\u002Fen-ie\u002Fwork-in-ireland\u002Flabour-law\u002Fwork-and-wages",{"id":67,"short_title":7,"title":68,"url":69},672,"Compensation and Working 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Same organisation, same information, new look!\u003C\u002Fp>"]